Post-it Madness
by Hundius
Summary: It start in Series 5, espisode 2. Kate has to stay on board because someone wants to take revenge on her. Someone has to go to her home to collect personal things for her. Dutchy takes this opportunity to learn more about her. And then... yes and then...
1. Chapter 1

Dear Audience,

I have a question.

Years ago there was a forum, Theaussiebox. This forum had also a section for fanfiction stories. An author, Angelical, started this amazing story, but… He/she never finished the story and for forum stopped existing.

So, the biggest cliff-hanger of all!

After a few years I got an inspiration about the continuation of the story and I wrote it.

My question is : would you mind that I publish Angelical's chapters with his/her name and then my chapters?

Many thanks.


	2. Part 1

Post-it Madness

Author's note.

Hi, here we go, but first I want to thank Angelical for the first ten parts of the story. They are all his/hers.

My part starts from part 11.

Enjoy!

**Part 1**

Stepping into her house, he couldn't help to notice the extreme tidiness Kate possesed. Everything had its distinct place, and nothing seemed to be out of place. Dutchy grinned out loud, knowing that he was going to amuse himself going through her things to find out more about her before actually packing an overnight bag with the items she requested. Kate was someone who was very guarded concerning her private life. Of course they had become friends over the last few months, but she was a sort of an enigma. And that was exactly what had prompted him to offer his assistance when someone needed to go to Kate's house.

The CO had asked Bird to go to Kate's apartment, thinking Kate would be more comfortable with another woman going through her more 'private' belongings. When Dutchy found out he cornered bird in the galley, trying to grab the list Kate had made, and explained that it would be much quicker for him to go with his motorbike. With an easy smile he had explained she still had to prepare dinner for the remaining crew. To emphasise his point he gave her a smile he knew she couldn't resist and without any more thoughts, she handed over the list.

Standing in the hallway of Kate's house he was looking at the first few items on the list. They seemed innocent enough. Nevertheless, when he looked further, and saw items such as tampons, bras and underwear, he felt the heat rise up from his neck to his face. Maybe this hadn't been such a good plan after all.

Carefully, not to trip over the growing pile of post, he made his way to the living room. Arriving there, he realized that it would be polite to put the post on a desk so Kate wouldn't trip over it herself when she came home. When he retraced his steps back to the front door, he noticed the trail of black dirt on her shiny polished floor. "Damn" he muttered. Instead of cleaning it up, he skilfully used his foot to push some of the dirt underneath the carpet. To avoid having to repeat that action more than once, he untied his laces and kicked off his boots.

On his socks he walked back to the living room, with the post tucked in his large hands. He couldn't help himself and quickly scanned through it. Unfortunately most of it was either junk mail or bills. It would have been so much better if there had been postcards he could read to find out what interested Kate. Deciding it was of no interest to him, he dropped all the envelopes on the coffee table and sat down.

Kate's house was stylishly decorated with light colours and matching decorations. In the corner of the living room stood a small desk housing the phone, a note pad and a stack of bright yellow post its. He got up to inspect that part of the room closer and had to laugh. Several post-its were stuck to the surface of the desk and even to the phone reminding Kate of many appointments and plans she had made before she left on patrol. So Kate was a control freak, Dutchy thought. One of the post-its was stuck to a travel brochure of Tahiti, reminding Kate to confirm some of the dates. He quickly browsed through it, thinking how nice it would be to lie on those white sandy beaches with her dressed in nothing more than a skimpy bikini.

He mentally scolded himself, knowing he shouldn't have thoughts like this. She was his superior for god's sake! He couldn't help himself though, he was just a man, not always able to think with the right part of his body. But he loved chasing women, especially those who weren't easily available and Kate was exactly that. A woman, and not available.

He shook his head, trying to rid himself of those images and made his way into Kate's kitchen. All this thinking had made him thirsty and he needed a cold drink. When he opened the fridge, he saw that he was lucky. Apart from one lonely can of beer, the fridge was empty. Not having to think twice he grabbed the can, popped the cap and took a long swig. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and suddenly stared guiltily at the empty spot in her fridge. Maybe he should warn her that she was out of beer. She wouldn't be happy if she came home to find that one beer gone. He suddenly had this great idea. I'll leave her a post-it on the fridge telling her to buy a new six pack. He thought. He got a tenner from his wallet and stuck it underneath a fridge magnet and another post-it. 'For the beer', it said.

When he had finished his beer and had looked around all of the downstairs he headed upstairs with a holdall in one hand, and Kate's list tightly clutched in the other. The post-its were safely stored in his pockets. Although he felt slightly apprehensive about going through Kate's underwear, it interested him as well. He decided however to leave the best for last and start with toiletries.

Kate's list told him a spare bag for toiletries could be found in a cabinet underneath the sink. He crouched down and reached into the cabinet grabbing the first bag he could find. He opened the zipper and reached into it to find out why it was so heavy. The object he grabbed from inside both shocked and amused him. The shocked part of him accidentally dropped the item on the bathroom floor, where it started buzzing happily. Embarrassed he tried to turn it off. When it didn't, he took out the batteries and he dropped it on the sink before furiously washing his hands. Damn, he thought, Princess Perfect owns a tarzan. And it's huge!

Deciding that she would probably not want him to bring Tarzan along to the Hammersley, he decided to leave it there. He crouched to the floor once again to retrieve the batteries, but couldn't find them anymore. They must've disappeared underneath the cabinet. He got up again, grabbed a post-it and stuck it next to tarzan. 'Batteries need replacing.'

Next on the list were some useful items he quickly found. Shampoos, conditioners and some sort of face cream she seemed to have dozens of. He tried to find the specific one Kate had listed and started looking through all the different ones. Night cream, suncream, after sun cream, moisturizing cream… She didn't need all those creams now did she. Dutchy thought. Finally he found the right moisturizer and dropped it in the bag at his feet.

On a shelf above her sink his attention was caught by a row of fashionable perfume bottles. He opened the first one and crinkled his nose. Too sweet for his taste. He couldn't understand how someone like Kate would wear that. Maybe it had been a gift, he thought. Smiling to himself, he decided to leave a post-it note on her perfume bottles as well. 'Don't care for this one' he scribbled on the first one. The perfume he liked best he also adorned with a note. 'This one smells great. Would love to smell it on you.' Dutchy grinned when he attached the note to the bottle. He was enjoying this, and wondered how Kate was going to react. He assumed she was going to kill him.

He finished packing the things from the bathroom before moving to the bedroom. He gasped slightly when he entered it, as it was extremely feminine, something he hadn't expected Kate to like. He chucked the holdall on her bed and started opening doors and drawers to find what he needed. He blushed a furious shade of red when the drawer he opened was the one she used for storing her underwear. He knew he had planned on leaving that till last, but he couldn't help himself. What he had expected her to wear underneath her uniform, white and decent, couldn't be found anywhere in there. He quickly scanned the drawer underneath, to see if that sort of underwear was there, but it wasn't. All Kate seemed to own, were lacy, slightly see through strings and matching bras. He smiled, adding a new image of Kate to his list. One that wore frilly little underwear underneath her uniform. He started packing some matching sets and found one that particularly amused him. Kate owned string underwear with leopard print. He searched through the rest of the drawer to find its matching bra, but couldn't find it. He decided to leave it, but add a note anyway. 'What the hell were you thinking or drinking when you bought this?'

Dutchy quickly scanned the list again to see what else was needed. Tops and shorts. How boring was that, he thought. Must remember to add something that looks better on her than shorts. He cringed when he remembered that ugly brown dress she had once worn that looked like a bag of potatoes. Quickly he scanned through her dresses and found the offending object. He decided to leave that one on her bed, so she would immediately notice it. 'You need to throw this one out. Hideous! Bought on same day as leopard print undies?' He quickly finished packing the clothes on Kate's list, to give him some more time to snoop around.

There was one place he hadn't really searched yet, the bed stand. He doubted for a moment if he should actually look in there, but he was just too curious and couldn't resist himself. What he found stashed in there, made him choke. A half emptied packet of condoms was pushed somewhere into the back of the drawer. 'Wouldn't mind finishing this packet with you.' He wrote down on another post-it. No, shouldn't use that one – that's too rude.' He tossed the note in the bin and wrote another one. 'I thought you'd have chosen strawberry'. He shook his head. Finding Tarzan had been way over the line, but this was even worse. He quickly pushed the drawer closed and binned the other note as well.

Back downstairs he eyed the Tahiti brochure again. He couldn't resist himself and added a note on it. 'Tahiti is nice this time of year'. He added a small drawing of someone enjoying the sun.

When he pulled the front door shut, he doubted his actions for a moment. What he had done, could escalate easily. It could go horribly wrong and Kate could have his arse for indecent behaviour towards a senior officer, but there was always a possibility that she actually liked being chased by Dutchy.

Back on the ship he quickly handed the bag over to Kate, who was waiting impatiently. "Took you long enough," she scolded. Dutchy just shrugged. "I got distracted." "Distracted how?" She demanded to know. He grinned and easily tried to change the topic. "So you've got a promotion and a holiday to look forward to." He started. "Tahiti looks nice." She looked at him in disbelief. "Were you snooping around my flat?" Dutchy shook his head. "No I wasn't snooping. I can't help it if I am observant" Kate was slightly pissed off. "You WERE snooping." She said with a voice raised in annoyance. "What else did you discover about me?" she demanded to know. Dutchy laughed and started walking away. "Oh - nothing I don't know already."


	3. Part 2

**Part 2**

Kate dreaded opening her front door after worrying what Dutchy might have done to her place. He had been so annoying and secretive that he MUST have pulled some sort of stunt. But when she finally opened the door everything seemed to be in order. He even had bothered to pick up the post, because usually after a patrol the envelopes would cause anyone to trip. She sighed in relief, kicked off her shoes and pulled off her socks.

As soon as she took one step into the living room she noticed something was wrong. The floorboards underneath her bare feet made funny noises, that hadn't been there before she left. When she looked down, she muttered a curse. "That BLOODY man has left half of the beach on my floor." On closer inspection she got even more annoyed, as Dutchy had tried to cover his tracks by sweeping the dirt underneath her pristine carpet. She had been glad when he brought her belongings when she couldn't go home, but right now she started to worry what else she would find out of order.

Sighing deeply she walked towards the cleaning cupboard to retrieve the vacuum cleaner. This was not how she had planned her homecoming at all. All she wanted was to curl up on her sofa with a beer and a good movie to relax. Instead, she had to clean both the hall and the living room. "Men" Kate said annoyed. "Bloody useless."

Feeling hot and sticky after putting the vacuum cleaner away, she walked into the kitchen to get a drink. She knew she had to go food shopping tomorrow morning, but she remembered there was one cold beer left in the fridge. That beer will make all the difference, Kate thought happily. Unconsciously she reached for the fridge door, not really registering the tenner stuck to it, and pulled it open to reveal…

Absolutely nothing.

Kate slammed the fridge door closed in anger. It was then she noticed a post-it and some money stuck to it. 'For the beer', it said in an irregular man's scribble. She sighed in exasperation, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. She was tired and so far everything she had planned to do when she got home, had been thwarted by something Dutchy had done. On the other hand, Dutchy had been kind enough to at least pay for the beer he drank. At least that had been nice, Mike would usually come over, drink all the beer, get drunk and never buy new ones.

Dejectedly she slid against the cupboards to sit on the floor, hugging her knees to her chest. She was trying hard not to cry, but knew it was pretty useless. The last few days had been harrowing, with a man trying to kill her on numerous occasions. Stop being such a whiner, she scolded herself. You are alive and well. With that, she rubbed her eyes and got up from the floor. A shower would be nice and relaxing, or a hot bath. She thought while heading upstairs.

Every step she took upstairs made her wonder what else he had touched and seen. She had already noticed the sand brushed underneath the carpet, her beer was gone, and she was sure as hell, these couldn't be the only stunts he had pulled. Kate was afraid Dutchy had snooped through every single item she possessed.

She knew some of the more private items were hidden carefully upstairs and she was sure he wouldn't have been able to find those. Her Kama Sutra book was hidden in between the naval instruction manuals, as she was sure nobody ever checked those out at all. They were so boring they could put a grown up to sleep. She was sure she had also put her questionable dvds away, as she was secretly ashamed of being the owner of such films. A naval officer like herself shouldn't enjoy and cry over films like Bambi, Gone with the Wind, Sound of Music and Dirty Dancing. Right now, she doubted any of these objects remained untouched…

Kate rushed to climb the last part of the stairs, tripping over her own feet landing face down on the floor between the bathroom and het bedroom. "Ouch", she cried out while brushing her bruised shin. With a slight limp she quickly made her way into the bedroom. As soon as she entered her bedroom she saw one of her dresses folded on her bed, adorned with a yellow note. She sighed in exasperation, so he had gone through all her clothes as well. Nothing was safe.

She dropped on her hands and knees and slithered underneath her bed to try and reach her secret DVDs. Nobody knew where they were hidden, not even Mike knew she had these guilty pleasures. Finally she was able to curl her fingers on the corner of the box and she pulled it towards her. With trembling fingers she browsed through her dvds checking each and every one for signs of use. Seeing no fingerprints in the dust she sat down with her back against the bed and the box resting on her legs. She scolded herself for being stupid. She was hardly able to crawl underneath the bed herself as it was so low, so Dutchy's massive chest wouldn't even fit. While sitting on the floor she let out a sigh when she noticed the shelf with navy manuals remained untouched.

Suddenly she realized the dress on her bed had a post-it stuck to it. What the hell had Dutchy been up half turned her body and pulled the dress towards her, not bothering to get up. Kate read the post-it and was confused at first. Apparently he believed the dress to be hideous and compared it to potatoes. "Potatoes?" she cried out loudly. When she bought it the shop assistant had assured her the colour really brought out the colour of her eyes. Come to think it, maybe she had been wrong. But Mike had thought she looked pretty in it, but right now Kate didn't believe him at all. Dutchy usually said what was on his mind, as Mike always seemed to tell her what she wanted to hear The dress, she decided, had to go.

The rest of the comment made her suck in her breath. She knew he had grabbed her some undies, but didn't know he had gone through the drawers so thoroughly to find her leopard print string hidden away at the bottom. Sure enough, when she hastily pulled open that drawer, a post-it was stuck to said undies.

Kate started wondering what else Dutchy had covered with post-its. To be honest, she both dreaded it and it amused her. Although she felt extremely pissed off about them well, Dutchy seemed to have a wicked sense of humour. This seemed to be a whole new side of him she hadn't seen before.

She remembered her reasons for actually coming upstairs, and grabbed some things she needed for after her relaxing bath. She decided she would wear her leopard print string as Dutchy had kindly put it on top. It was her favourite. The matching bra not being there, was due to a faulty washing machine on the Hammersley that seemed to have eaten it.

All thoughts flooded away from her brain when she stood frozen in the doorway, her mouth open in a shocked 'o'. Right there on the sink, in plain view, was Tarzan, ready to play. Have I been that stupid to leave it there before leaving on patrol? She thought confusedly. She tried to retrace her steps and concluded she had definitely hid it away. Kate took a step closer to the sink to inspect Tarzan more closely and noticed Dutchy had left another post it. 'Batteries need replacing' it said on his note. She felt an embarrassed heat spread to her face. Right now she wasn't sure whether she was feeling upset, angry or extremely turned on.

She shook her head, trying to rid herself of this feeling. She shouldn't feel like this, getting all worked up over some notes a colleague had left her as a joke. But as she lay soaking in the bath, she couldn't shake this feeling. Dutchy had once said something about the chase, that he loved doing that. Right now, she had the feeling this was exactly what he was doing; chasing her. He was trying to see how she would react. Would she fall for him, or kick his arse.

She had only closed her eyes for a minute she thought, but in that 'minute' her mind assaulted her with the images it had stored of half naked Dutchy working out on the ship. Damn she thought this bath is going to be everything but relaxing. Finally giving up she got up and wrapped herself in one of her largest fluffy towels before stepping on the cold bathroom tiles.

While drying her hair she noticed yet another post-it. That man has touched basically everything around here, she thought. She read his comments about her perfume and grinned. He was so right knowing exactly which smell she liked best and blushed at the part where he said that he wouldn't mind smelling it on her. Maybe when she saw him next she should try it out, see what his reaction would be. Would she be able to unsettle him just as much as he appeared to be doing with her right now?

Still feeling the cold tiles underneath her bare feet, she quickly dressed in her underwear and pyjamas. Before leaving the bathroom she grabbed Tarzan and took him to the bedroom with her. Back in her bedroom she remember she needed to throw away the offending brown dress. She grabbed from her bed and chucked it into the bin. Before it landed there, she noticed another two post- its.

Kate retrieved the post-its from underneath the dress and read them quickly. 'I thought you'd chosen strawberry' and 'wouldn't mind finishing the packet with you.' What on earth did he mean with strawberriesshe thought confusedly. And what packet? Deciding to ask him about them later, she put them both on top of the bed stand. She settled in bed and reached into the drawer to get some new batteries for Tarzan when she noticed some things in there had moved. Suddenly the notes retrieved from the bin made so much more sense.

Kate was confused. Dutchy had never made a move on her before. He even denied being attracted to her months ago. What he was doing right now, making indecent suggestions seemed to be exactly him making a move on her. He was flirting, he was proposing sex and he knew exactly which buttons to push. She knew as his divisional officer she should talk to him about this behaviour, but right now she wasn't even sure she wanted to do that at all. She let out a frustrated sigh. Why the hell had he chosen her to chase? Was she sure she was amused by this? Should she go along with him and his games? And what if I do?

She decided that whatever she was going to do about his feelings, it was it was time to get back at him first. Planning on making him sweat for a while, she picked up her mobile and scrolled through the phonebook to find his number. When he answered the phone, she could hear the apprehension in his voice. She knew he knew she had found all the post-its.

"Petty Officer Mulholland," she started of angrily. "You WERE snooping through my apartment. There is no way you can deny it, the evidence is all over the place. What have you got to say for yourself?" The other end of the line remained quiet, as if Dutchy didn't know how to answer. She almost thought she could hear him swallow. "You know what," she continued her rant, "I want to see you tomorrow morning at 9am sharp. Maybe then you can explain yourself." "Yes ma'am." Was all Dutchy could manage before Kate ended the conversation. As soon as she ended the call, she nearly rolled off the bed with laughter.

It was time for revenge.


	4. Part 3

**Part 3**

When Kate ended the call, Dutchy was scared, very scared. Pissed off Kate was one thing, but she had sounded furious. Clearly she wasn't as amused as he had been when sticking post-its to her belongings. The woman just talking on the phone, wasn't Kate his friend, but the XO. Dutchy was in serious trouble.

At night Dutchy lay tossing and turning in his bed. Constantly he was assaulted by images of Kate and what damage she could do to him and his career. How could he control that damage? How could he have been so stupid thinking she would find the notes amusing? She was going to get him kicked out off the navy, he was sure of that. When he still hadn't fallen asleep at 5AM he gave up. He swung his legs over the side of his bed, firmly planting his feet on the floor. While brushing one hand through his tousled hair, he rubbed the other in his tired eyes.

From the corner of his eye he saw his mobile light up. For a moment he felt the feeling of dread in the pit of his stomach as he thought it would be Kate telling him she'd go directly to navcom instead of meeting him first. But it was the CO – telling him that they had been crash sailed and he was expected to be at Hammersley at 7AM.

He was stalling getting to the ship in time, as he knew that as soon as he was there, he would run into Kate, who would skin him alive. Dutchy argued that if he would get to the ship just in time, he'd have to get to work directly and Kate would have no chance to kill him. Just before leaving his flat he took one last look in the mirror for an arrogant check to see if he looked alright, when he realised he looked as rough as he felt.

Exactly what he had predicted, as soon as he got to Hammersley, he had to get to work. Before getting to that though, he was told off by the CO, who wasn't amused by Dutchy's tardiness. Dutchy just let the CO's angry words float past him, as what he had to say, just couldn't be as bad as what Kate's anger.

Kate was having a hard time not to burst out laughing every time she got near to Dutchy. The last time she had cornered him, was when he was making a brew. She stood near the door and he stood there babbling like an idiot before finally handing over his brew and getting the hell out of there. He was scared of her, and she thought it was highly amusing.

By now she had realised he really thought she was going to report him to navcom and wreck his career. While she had planned on telling him she would report him, let him sweat for a while, and then take it back, she now had a far better idea. Dutchy had been playing games in her house, and two could play that game. Her revenge wasn't going to consist of kicking him out of the navy, she was going to play his game on him. See how you like someone touching your private belongings she thought. She sniggered for a moment, when she thought of his most private belonging. Guess it's going to be hard attaching a post-it to that.

While most people were on the bridge, Kate excused herself and went down to the cabins. Before opening the door to Dutchy and Swain's cabin she held her breath for a moment while listening carefully if no-one was on his or her way downstairs. When she heard nothing she stepped inside and leaned her back against the closed door to take everything in. Swain must have a good influence on Dutchy, Kate thought when she saw the spotless cabin. After seeing the mess in her own house, she believed Dutchy's own place would be a pig-sty. So far, she had been proven wrong.

Knowing someone would be able to come back any minute, she knew she didn't really have time to go snooping around the cabin. Her revenge would have to come in phases. One post it at the time, especially when and where he didn't expect them. Deciding the best item to start with would be his underwear she headed for the first wardrobe she saw and quickly grabbed some. When the item she held up turned out to be a tighty whity, she assumed they were Swain's. There is no way that someone with a body like Dutchy's will wear THOSE sort of undies.

Kate chucked back the undies in disgust and opened the other wardrobe. "Now that's more like it," Kate whispered with a smile. She grabbed a handful and inspected each and everyone of them. Most of them were tight, making Kate blush when realizing how well his assets would be shown in them. She dug her hand into the pile of undies again and grabbed the one that was stuffed way back at the bottom. This last one just seemed perfect.

In her hand she held a tight pair of boxer briefs. Not just a decent plain white or black, but something SO typically Dutchy. Just typical for him to even show off with his underwear, she thought while dangling the bright red boxers in front of her. "Now this is absolutely perfect." She laughed. From her pocket she quickly got a pen and some post-its. She bit the back of her pen for a moment to think of the best comment to write down. When she had finally decided the best remark, she blushed when writing it down. Now see how you will feel when you find your undies displayed like this. She thought while planting said undies on his pillow. As she closed the door she briefly thought what would happen if Swain happened to find Dutchy's underwear first. Kate just shrugged. Serves him right, she thought.

Quickly making her way back to the bridge, she was still giggling like a schoolgirl. Mike was giving her a questioning look which she just answered with a shrug. She felt she was being watched and she quickly turned around to see Dutchy's eyes focussed on her. As soon as he noticed she had caught him, he quickly cast down his eyes again, turning pale. When she saw this, she smiled even more.

The look Kate was giving him, wasn't good Dutchy thought. She was testing him, and was very open about it. He swallowed and quickly cast his look down again concentrating on the image shown on the EOD. He had the feeling Kate was up to something, and it made him feel uncomfortable. All day he had tried to avoid her, at the same time, she had cornered him every single time. As if she was doing it on purpose. Every time he stepped out to a location where he was semi alone, she had been there, making him behave like a fool.

Dutchy sighed when the night-watch finally arrived. Tiredly he rubbed his hands through his eyes. The hours he didn't sleep last night and being on duty all day had taken its toll. He was exhausted and longed to crawl into his rack and sleep. As soon as the door closed, he kicked off his shoes, stripped down to his underwear and made an attempt of climbing into his rack. With one leg on his rack, and one still dangling in the air he froze.

Spread out on his pillow, someone had displayed his most flashy pair of boxers. I am sure I didn't leave any underwear out, Dutchy thought at first. He lifted the rest of his body onto his rack and grabbed the offending item off his pillow. It was then that he saw the yellow post-it that made him blush a shade of red he had never been. 'Are you sure everything fits in this one?' Kate had written. Before he could think about it any further the door swung open to reveal Swain. Dutchy seemed to be sporting the deer caught in the headlights look and stuffed the red undies and the post-it underneath his pillow. "You alright mate?" Swain asked. "You look a bit flustered. You're not ill, are you?" Dutchy shook his head. "I am fine, just tired." When he slipped underneath the covers he knew that tonight would be another restless night.

Morning had come way too soon, but Kate was walking around with a smug and amused look on her face. Even Mike noticed it and had asked her what was going on. She had said something about an inside joke she couldn't really explain and Mike didn't press on any further. Dutchy however, had that same feeling of dread again when he saw her amused face. She was up to something again, but he couldn't predict where and when.


	5. Part 4

**Part 4**

Dutchy finally felt able to breath again when after a few hours, nothing had happened. So far he hadn't found any post-its, nor had Kate cornered him to give him a lecture on his behaviour. Nevertheless, he still felt uneasy, on edge. Knowing he had every right in feeling this way came when they were getting ready for a boarding.

Dutchy was getting his gear from his locker and was about to pull on his lifejacket when a small yellow note slipped out and landed on the floor. Unfortunately Dutchy wasn't the only one who noticed the note. 2dads made a beeline for the note and was already trying to decipher it. 'Blue really isn't your colour' it said. "Dude" 2dads started. "What the hell is this?" Dutchy angrily snatched the post-it away and stashed it in his pocket. "It probably is a note I wrote ages ago, trying to remember something." Dutchy lied. 2Dads harrumphed, as he clearly didn't believe Dutchy. "I think…" 2Dads started. "I think you better shut up" Dutchy threatened. With a shake of his head 2Dads made his way outside towards the RHIB.

Behind him he heard Kate laugh and he turned around to her. "This isn't funny X." He said to her, clearly feeling upset. She raised an eyebrow looking amused. "Really?" she asked. "Because when you were terrorising my house, it seemed as if you DID find it very amusing." Dutchy sighed and said nothing, knowing she was right. It was no use going against her. He just had to let her blow off her steam, and maybe things would calm down sometime during the patrol.

During the whole boarding Dutchy wondered what Kate had written on the post-it. After grabbing it from 2Dads' hands and stashing it in his pocket, he hadn't had the chance to have a look at it. He was worried, as 2Dads was known for rumour mongering. What did Kate write? He worried. What was 2dads going to do with the information on the note? Hopefully he would think that it had been Dutchy writing that note to use as a pick up line. "Damn it Dutchy," an angry Kate shouted as he ran into her when he was preoccupied on the FFV. "Watch where you're going!" He tried to shake the funny feeling away, but Dutchy just felt miserable.

Kate started feeling slightly guilty about terrorising Dutchy, but only slightly. She couldn't understand how he reacted so differently to the teasing than she had done. "Typical male", she muttered. One moment he could keep all emotions hidden from his face, as he had done when she reprimanded him for not paying attention during the boarding, while on other moments you could read him like a book. Well screw him, Kate thought, I am not done yet. Even when he gives me the that 'sad puppy look' and is ready to burst into tears I am not giving in.

When Kate knew Dutchy would still be busy finishing his reports as she had ordered him to do as a punishment and Swain was busy on the bridge, she decided to have another snoop in their cabin. Maybe this time she could leave a post-it in the bathroom, on his shaving kit. While walking down she wondered what would be the best line to write on the post-it.

'Can I borrow this for my legs?' or 'I hadn't picked you as a gilette man' or 'I have the same one in pink.' Still grinning, she opened the door to their cabin and went straight to the bathroom.

Dutchy had a headache. After two nights without any sleep in a row he was starting to feel it. To make matters worse, Kate had forced him to write all the reports of the latest boarding as punishment for not paying any attention and nearly messing everything up. He knew she was right, so when Kate told him what to do, he uttered a tired "Yes Ma'am" and got to work. The sooner he would be done, the sooner he could get to sleep.

Meanwhile Kate was having a great time in the Dutchy and Swain's bathroom. She lifted everything and tried to imagine whose it was. She unscrewed every tube and bottle to smell. Good choice. She thought when easily finding the exact aftershave Dutchy was always wearing. She looked at the bottle wearing the label of 'Diesel – Only the brave'. Typically something Dutchy would buy, she thought with a grin.

Maybe I am not going to write a post it for his razor, she thought when getting confused over two quite similar razors. If she wasn't careful, she'd easily stick the note to the wrong razor. At least with the aftershave she was sure which one was Dutchy's. She didn't dare think what would happen if it was Swain finding a provocative post-it on one of his belongings. She was sure his reaction would be even worse than Dutchy's had been.

Dutchy was finally finished with the report. He was sure Kate had made it harder for him to write on purpose. She still wanted to punish him. Women usually fell for the sad look he could give them, but Kate wasn't having any of it. She remained cold to all his looks. Maybe he had been so wrong about her. Maybe she wasn't at all interested in him.

He got up from the chair and stretched, wincing slightly as he felt how sore his muscles were. Maybe I should have a shower before going to sleep. He thought while making his way to his cabin. Dutchy was glad Swain was still on duty, as it gave him more freedom in the cabin to get ready for his shower. Bit by bit he peeled off the layers of his clothing, carefully folding them over the chair. When he finally stripped off his boxer shorts he grabbed his towel and opened the door to the bathroom.

As soon as Kate had heard the door open she panicked. There was no way she could escape now, and there was nowhere to hide. She just had to stay in the bathroom and hide. Hopefully whoever it was, wasn't going to use the shower, she thought while shutting the shower curtain to hide herself. Just use the toilet and leave, she prayed.

Dutchy swung open the door and hung his towel on its hook. Quickly before having his shower he emptied his bladder in the toilet. Dutchy didn't believe 2Dads's saying 'If it's yellow let it mellow' and flushed. He then turned around towards the shower. Odd he thought. Usually we leave the curtain open after using it. Dutchy shrugged and pulled the curtain open, already lifting his hand to open the taps. It was then that all thoughts left his head as he saw Kate staring wide eyed at his naked body.


	6. Part 5

**Part 5**

Both sailors just stood there, staring at the other person. While Kate was formulating words in her head that just didn't seem to come out, Dutchy couldn't think at all. Both of them sported a deep shade of red on their faces. While Dutchy's eyes were fixed on Kate's face, Kate just couldn't keep hers on eyelevel. She kept on staring at his manhood making Dutchy feel uncomfortable. He couldn't help it, but having her stare at his naked body like that, made other parts of his body react. Before he knew it, his manhood stood to attention.

"I…..You…." Kate started but she couldn't think. She shifted uncomfortably but aroused. Finally it was Dutchy who made a move to the towel rack and expertly wrapped the towel around his lower body, hiding the offending bodypart from Kate's prying eyes. "My face is up here X," he joked with great difficulty. Her eyes now focussed on his face, but any coherent thought was gone. "I think you better leave," Dutchy said calmly. She nodded slowly, knowing he was right. There was no dignified way out of this situation. One of them had to leave, and since this wasn't her cabin, it had to be Kate.

There didn't seem to be an easy way out of the bathroom. The space to move around was tiny, and for Kate to leave, she had to move closely past Dutchy. She took a few steps but as she came close to Dutchy, the ship suddenly lurched, pushing her into his broad chest. Her arms were flailing and to regain her balance, she grabbed the item closest to her hands; his towel.

Dutchy shook his head in disbelief. What the hell happened here? He wondered. Who was this woman and what had she done with the X? With the towel still clutched firmly in her hands, Dutchy put his hands on her shoulders, turned her around, and gently pushed her away from the bathroom, closing the door behind her.

Against two sides of the door, a sailor leant trying to regain some sort of composure. On one side Dutchy was now laughing quietly trying to remember the exact look on Kate's face, while on the other side Kate was trying to calm herself down. Her heart was pounding in her chest, her face still a bright red and the towel was clutched in her hands so tightly, her knuckles were becoming white.

When Kate finally made a move to go back to her cabin, RO's voice sounded on the ship's intercom. "XO to the bridge, at the rush". Damn it she thought I don't have time to go to my cabin to get a change of undies. She looked at the towel in her hands, and although she felt compelled taking it with her as a souvenir, she chucked it in the corner of the cabin and made her way to the bridge.

Arriving on the bridge, Kate still hadn't lost the blush colouring her face simply because she couldn't forget the image she had just seen. In her memory she tried to picture what Mike had looked like, and he certainly wasn't anything like Dutchy. Thinking about this, made the blush come back full force.

Mike looked up from his seat at the helm and looked at her questioningly. "You look flushed X" he asked feeling slightly worried. "You don't have a temperature do you?" She shook her head in denial. "It's hot out there." She faltered. "The sun. It's a scorcher of a day.." Mike nodded for a moment while looking outside at the sun. "But X?" He asked. "Didn't you just come from downstairs?" She tried to keep her face as neutral as possible before answering. "Yes.. Well. It's extremely hot in some of the cabins as well."

Meanwhile Dutchy had recovered enough to take his shower. Unfortunately he had to make it a cold one to calm down. He decided to wear the boxer shorts Kate seemed to have liked so much and crawled into bed. For over an hour he tossed and turned in his bed, but sleep wouldn't come. He kept seeing the 'deer caught in the headlights' look Kate had sported when he caught her in his bathroom. But apart from shock, he had seen something else in her eyes. Something he hadn't dared hoping to see. He had seen lust.

Giving up on sleep he jumped down from the top bunk and landed gracefully on the floor. He quickly grabbed his navy issue shirt and made his way to the corridor. Lucky for him, it was quiet. People were either asleep, or on the bridge. On bare feet he padded towards Kate's cabin, looked around him once more, opened the door and stepped inside.

Kate's cabin looked similar to her home, too tidy. There were a few photo's stuck on the wall, a boring book next to her bed and a small teddy bear perched on her bed. He grinned. Next time the teddybear is going to get it but right now, I have something else in mind. He opened Kate's drawers after having forgotten to bring his own post-its and sure enough, Kate had loads of it. Not only yellow ones, but also pink and bright orange ones.

Quickly choosing one of the pink notes he scribbled down his message to her. 'Did you forget to bring Tarzan that you came looking for something else?' Dutchy peeled the note off and stuck it to her pillow where he was sure she would find it. Already in a better mood after the last few days, he made his way back to his cabin. Tonight he was sure he'd sleep like a baby.


	7. Part 6

**Part 6**

On the bridge Mike had been trying to talk to her constantly. He talked to her about the last boarding, he talked to her about the course they had plotted, and when he still didn't get a response, he even talked about the weather. Kate tried to give appropriate response, but her mind just wasn't there. Her mind kept picturing Dutchy getting ready for his shower, or imagining him in his red undies.

At last Mike gave up, and Kate was able to do her work in peace. She sighed silently enjoying being left has my plan backfired like this. She thought. How the hell am I going to be able to work with Dutchy if all I can think of when he's around is what he looks like underneath his uniform. She mentally scolded 're a professional Kate, act like one. Finally she gave up. "Sir," she asked Mike. "Permission to leave the bridge to get a brew?" Mike nodded and hoped that when she had her brew, she would be more like her usual self.

Kate quickly made her way to her cabin to have a quick break before making herself a brew. She went into her bathroom and splashed cold water into her face to get rid of the faint red hue on her cheeks. If she couldn't get the colouring to go away, Mike would force her to go and see Swain, and she didn't want to do that at all. "There is nothing wrong with you Kate" she said to her mirror image. "You did this to yourself."

She shook her head at herself and wanted to walk back to the cabin door, when the note on her pillow caught her attention. She nearly choked when she read it. 'Did you forget to bring Tarzan that you came looking for something else?'. Reading this shocked her, as he knew things about her a colleague wasn't supposed to know. On the other hand it also made her really pissed off. Right Dutchy she thought. This is war.

As his superior officer, Kate desperately needed to talk to Dutchy before they had a shift together again. She needed to know if there were any problems for them working together after the bathroom incident. When she knocked on his door, she heard nothing. Maybe he is asleep, she thought with a smile. She opened the door slightly and sure enough, Dutchy was sound asleep in the top bunk.

She forgot about having to talk to him, and decided taking revenge for his last note, was much funnier. She quickly took her pen and pink post-its from her pocket, and scribbled a note. 'I thought you'd sleep with a teddybear.' Next came the difficult task. Kate wanted to stick the note to his forehead and she needed to do this so carefully, Dutchy wouldn't wake up. For a moment she stood in front of his sleeping face, listening to his steady breathing. Thank god he doesn't snore, she thought. Quietly she lifted her arm, and stuck the post-it to his head without waking him up. Now get the hell out of here Kate, she told herself.  
Dutchy felt like he had slept for hours when he felt someone prod him to wake him up. He tried to push the other person away but the prodding didn't stop. He slowly opened one eye to see swain staring at him with a grin on his face. "Someone got at you while you were asleep mate." He said while tearing off the note of Dutchy's face and reading it aloud.

So Kate must have found the note he thought. Otherwise she wouldn't have retaliated. "Who do you think has done this?" Swain asked. Dutchy shrugged. "And what's this thing with you being haunted by post-its?" Swain continued. "Didn't one fall out of your boarding gear yesterday?" Dutchy nodded, suddenly realizing he hadn't read that one at all. "It's probably either 2Dads or Charge having a laugh." Swain argued. "Those two are the only ones childish enough to do something like this." Dutchy nodded almost too eagerly to accept Swain's explanation while knowing exactly who had been planting the notes.

When Swain finally stopped talking and moved to the bathroom, Dutchy leaped of the bed to search all his pockets. He needed to find out what Kate had written on the other note. 'Thank god' he sighed when he read the note. 'Blue isn't your colour.' Seemed relatively harmless. Quickly before Swain would return, he crawled back into his bunk and started thinking of ways to take revenge.

Of course there was the teddybear he had seen, which would serve as one of his next targets. He wasn't sure what to write on that post-it, but it had to be a reply to the one she had stuck to his face. But this last post it note, had been placed in such a way, Kate must have known Swain would find it, and not Dutchy. So the next post-it, he argued, must be in a public place. With a smile on his face, knowing Kate wouldn't dare enter his cabin when Swain was there as well, he fell asleep again.

When Kate was on the bridge the next day, she was feeling good. Although she had been dreaming of Dutchy most of the night, she had managed to stash her feelings away during the day, she just had to keep busy. Luckily, she hadn't seen Dutchy yet, as she didn't know how professional she would be feeling if he was on the bridge as well.

"Morning X." she heard behind her. She looked away from the chart she was studying and looked straight into his blue eyes. They are a very nice shade of blue Kate thought dreamily. "Morning" she replied while trying to keep the colour from rising any further than her neck. "Brew?" he asked while offering her a mug. She nodded gratefully and accepted the drink. She didn't notice Dutchy moving away quickly when taking the first sip.

The brew tasted good. Just the right amount of milk added as she liked best. When she took another sip she saw Mike coming towards her with his hand stretched out. "There's something stuck underneath your mug X." He said just before reaching her. "I must have put the mug on some notes" Kate lied trying to keep Mike away from the note. But she was too late, Mike had already peeled off the note and studied it carefully. 'Hot enough for you?' "What is this X?" he asked her seriously. She quickly tried to come up with an excuse when she saw Dutchy grinning at her from the corner of the bridge. The blush she had kept at bay earlier, was now attacking her face full force. Kate just didn't know how to answer.

Dutchy decided the fun had lasted long enough. He walked towards Kate and Mike, and carefully swapped his mug with hers. "I think you have my mug," he said softly. "Some of the crew are having a laugh and posting notes to each other." He lied. "I guess this mug was meant for me." Although Mike seemed to believe the story, it didn't make him happy. He looked at Kate who seemed to have regained her decorum. "X, deal with this situation. This doesn't look like a joke anymore." She nodded and looked at Mike's retreating form. 'I hate you' she mouthed to Dutchy. He just shrugged and grinned.

The rest of the day Kate felt on edge. All the good feelings she had that morning, had been shattered after Dutchy's joke with the brew. Of course she realised that she had had it coming, especially after posting a note on his face, that could only be found by Swain. But having the CO mixed into these shenanigans was the last straw. This had to stop, and quickly.

Finally this day was over, and she could withdraw to her cabin. She was glad she didn't have to share it with anyone, because sometimes she just needed to be alone after all the hustle and bustle on the ship. She quickly stripped off her clothes and changed into her pyjamas. As soon as she crawled into her bed, she found her small teddybear placed somewhere differently than before. That's odd Kate thought. Didn't I leave him somewhere else last night? When she turned the bear over she understood why. 'You want to swap him for me?' Dutchy had written. She shook her head in disbelief, but smiled nonetheless. Maybe it wouldn't even be so bad to swap the bear for him she thought.

Dutchy was nearly asleep when he heard his mobile phone beep. Tiredly he opened Kate's message to show a photo of a post-it. 'Truce?'


	8. Part 7

**Part 7**

Kate finally set foot on solid ground again after being at sea for a week. The last few days of the patrol had been quiet, as both Kate and Dutchy had agreed on a truce. During the days that followed, both sailors had been able to sleep at night and not worry during the day how any weird notes or odd behaviour could be explained to their colleagues.

Before leaving the ship Kate had wanted to talk to Dutchy about what they were going to do next. She had planned on asking him to join her for dinner, so they could maybe talk about the messages, and especially their very suggestive meaning. She needed to know what it was he wanted. But Dutchy didn't seem to be on the ship anymore, maybe he had already gone home. Kate sighed before starting her car, and decided to drive to his house.

Her satnav guided her easily through the busy streets of Cairns until she reached the street Dutchy lived in. He lived in a single story house in a quiet suburb of Cairns. She had expected something different from him, maybe a flat somewhere near the beach where he could easily find girls to take home for the evening. This place was completely the opposite of her expectations. Unfortunately there wasn't any parking space near the house, and she had to park her car in the next street and walk towards his house.

When Kate finally knocked on the door, there was no answer. She knocked again and started doubting him being at home at all. Damn she thought What am I going to do now? She walked around the house to see if he perhaps was in the back garden, but apart from a well used barbeque and some deck chairs, she saw no sign of him having been there for a while. She sat down in one of the chairs to think what she was going to do next. Leave? Wait?

When the she felt the first large raindrops land on her head she made a beeline for the front door again, hoping to find some shelter. Unfortunately the wind had also picked up and the small area near the front door, wasn't so dry after all. She had two options. Either run all the way back to her car parked too far away and get drenched, or quickly look underneath all potted plants to see if Dutchy was the type that kept his spare key there. She decided the latter was her best option. After lifting several potted plants and finally finding the key underneath a large ceramic turtle-shaped birdbath she opened the front door and stepped inside.

As soon as Kate stepped into the house she was yet again to be confused. After the mess he had made of her place, she had expected his house to be a pig sty, but what she saw at first glance, was nothing like that. She took a few steps into the house and noticed her feet were wet from the rain and she quickly trawled back and wiped her feet properly. Kate quickly located the kitchen to find a towel to wipe up the wet patches on the floor, because someone could get seriously injured if they slipped on them she thought.

Kate held the wet towel in her hand and doubted what to do with it. She couldn't put it back in the kitchen as she had used it to mop the floor. What if Dutchy accidentally dried his hands with that towel Kate thought he could maybe catch something by doing that. She decided that she would find the laundry basket and leave it there. On her way through the house she opened several doors to find the bathroom. Finally, after nearly walking into the airing cupboard and the toilet, she found the bathroom and quickly deposited the towel in the laundry basket.

Right Kate thought what am I going to do next while I am waiting for Dutchy to come home. She glanced around in the bathroom and an evil smile slowly appeared on her face. If Dutchy wasn't at home yet, she was going to make the best of it while waiting and have a good snoop around.

His bathroom was functional and slightly boring. The white tiled space held no secrets or interesting objects for her to have a good look at she thought. The only thing that slightly interested her was his aftershave which always made her weak at the knees. She let out a frustrated sigh when she saw that most of the bottles and tubes he used in the bathroom, were open. Men she thought can't properly close anything. To give him a hand, she quickly put the cap back onto his toothpaste and shampoo bottle and left the bathroom.

She decided that neither the airing cupboard or the toilet were interesting enough to see twice and quickly opened the door to what she thought would be the bedroom. Nevertheless, she seemed to be wrong. Although this was a bedroom, it seemed to be the spare one, as the bed was stripped and all the clean laundry was heaped on top of it. Typical she thought leaving all his clean laundry somewhere no one would see it, so he won't have to fold it. Kate decided to be helpful and started folding his laundry. Most items were his usual clothes, jeans, t-shirts, some shorts and some underwear. She paused shortly before folding the undies to picture him in them. I'd rather picture him without them Kate suddenly thought thinking of the shower incident earlier that week.

"There, all done." Kate said to herself feeling quite pleased. The guest room now looked a whole lot tidier and more inviting than it had done before. "Let's find the bedroom" She opened the only door she hadn't opened before and finally found his bedroom. She let out a sigh at seeing it. The warm earthy colours on his walls combined with the wood of his bed and wardrobes made the bedroom look quite comfortable and inviting. Kate looked at her watch and realised that she had been inside his house for at least 15 minutes, and really shouldn't snoop much longer if she didn't want to be caught by Dutchy coming home. "I'd better hurry up." She told herself.

Kate sat down on the bed and bounced on it for a moment. Comfy she thought. She quickly opened the drawers of his nightstand to see what he had hidden in them. The first thing she pulled out was a nearly empty box of condoms, strawberry flavoured, regular size. Only two were left in the box and she left the box on his nightstand to help him remind himself to buy new ones. He shouldn't be without, she thought that would be so embarrassing. When she had another thought about the condoms her cheeks turned an interesting shade of red again. Kate had decided she wouldn't mind using those last two condoms with him. She suddenly wondered if regular size was really big enough for Dutchy after having seen him naked. Mike always needed small ones, she thought annoyed.

From the next drawer she lifted a stack of magazines which he must have read more than once, as some of the pages were slightly crumpled. She quickly flipped through them, only then realising the magazines were not the innocent types about gardening or fishing. She quickly let them slide from her hands in disgust and they landed on the floor. When the magazine landed with the middle pages open, showing a naked woman in a position Kate thought was anatomically quite impossible, she wanted to crouch down to grab it and put it back where it came from.

Before Kate had the chance to hide the magazine, she heard a noise. Damn she thought when realising the noise was that of a key being turned in the lock. She panicked, not knowing what to do. If she was quick, she could innocently sit down in the living room and explain what had happened. But she wasn't thinking right, and the only thing she could think of, was to hide. But where? She thought. The only suitable place to hide was underneath his bed. With some difficulty she crawled into the cramped space underneath his bed, trying to be as quiet as possible. When she realised the magazine was still lying on the floor she wanted to pull it underneath the bed with her, but she couldn't. She already heard his footsteps.


	9. Part 8

**Part 8**

As he closed the door, Dutchy stretched his aching muscles after having worked out in the gym. When the Hammersley had finally docked, he didn't feel like going home at all. He had been trying to avoid Kate most of the patrol, and it had got him all worked up. Going to the gym had made him tired and feeling a lot less stressed.

While kicking off his shoes, he noticed the floor in the hallway was suspiciously clean as if someone had mopped it recently. Dutchy shrugged probably the neighbour trying to be nice while watering the plants. It didn't really bother him, because it saved him precious time doing something other than cleaning his house. He hated doing it, but as his mother had taught him, his place needed to be clean. He never knew in advance if he was going to bring someone home after a night out, and didn't want to invite someone into a pigsty. That would really ruin his reputation.

Dutchy made his way into the bathroom where he swung his shore bag into a corner and ran the shower. It always took so long to get hot water in the bathroom shower so he always started it while undressing. He pulled off his shirt and flexed his muscles when he tried to turn his upper body in such a way he could see the bruise he had got after the last boarding. When he saw it was slowly fading, he was pleased. Although he got himself into trouble a lot, he always hated it when he was injured as it ruined his good looks.

When he had completely undressed, he realised there weren't any clean towels in the bathroom cupboard. "Damn" he muttered. Stark naked he walked to the guestroom where he remembered having dumped the clean laundry before he was crash sailed. He opened the door and was confused. All his laundry was neatly folded, in a way he usually didn't. This can't have been the neighbour he mused. She never did anything other than water his plants and bring in the post.

Someone must have been in my house he thought when he tiptoed through the hall. It actually slightly frightened him knowing that someone could still be inside, hiding and ready to hit him over the head with something before stealing all his valuables. Dutchy looked around to find something to hit back if needed when he saw a small vase his mother had given him. He shook his head, knowing his mum would kill him if he smashed that one. Finally he decided his big navy boots were the only usable things in the hallway. Slowly he opened the door to his bedroom to reveal…

Nobody. There was nobody there, nor had anyone been in the rest of his house. He was confused because he felt uncomfortable, as if someone WAS still there. Maybe it was silly and childish feeling like this, but he just couldn't shake the feeling.

Dutchy walked to the nightstand closest to the door and wondered why he had left the condoms out before being crash sailed. Odd he thought I haven't slept with a girl since I made a move on Kate, so what are the condoms doing there? He picked up the box and realised only two were left. Must buy some new ones he thought you never know when you might need them.

He sat down on his bed, put his head in his hands, closed his eyes and sighed. His mind had been playing tricks on him, there was nobody there. When he opened his eyes again he saw one of the magazines he usually kept well away from any prying eyes lying on the floor, barely visible as it was nearly hidden underneath the bed. He leaned forward to pull it away but it didn't move. It felt as if it was stuck. Dutchy got up and wanted to kneel down to see what was keeping the magazine glued to the floor. Just before doing so a noise was heard from underneath the bed.

Dutchy let out a high pitched scream and felt his heart rate shoot up. Instead of waiting for whoever was hiding to slide from underneath his bed, he groped under the bed and grabbed a foot and started pulling. There was hardly any resistance which he found odd. If it would have been a burglar, he or she would be kicking and screaming to not be caught. This, he thought, was no ordinary burglar. Finally the person was completely pulled from underneath the bed and turned around to reveal a face.

Dutchy gasped when he realised that the person hiding underneath his bed was no other than Kate. "What the hell" he nearly shouted. Kate, still lying on the floor, looked up at him trying to ignore his naked body. "You really need to use the vacuum cleaner underneath your bed more often." She scolded while getting up to stand in front of him.

Her eyes wandered down his body, resting on his manhood. Inwardly she groaned. She had finally managed to store the naked Dutchy images safely away in her mind when she felt the same reactions as she had done before. This man, turned her on.

Finally she gave him a cheeky smile. "We really have to stop meeting like this.". Dutchy still stood there, just staring at her. "You might want to put something on." Kate continued, indicating between his legs. He looked down as if he had only just realised he wasn't wearing anything and blushed. He moved towards his wardrobe where he quickly grabbed something to cover himself.

When he had finally managed to get himself dressed, which had proved to be quite difficult with his hands shaking, he ushered her towards the living room. "Kate, we've got to talk…."


	10. Part 9

**Part 9**

Kate looked around nervously, trying to avoid the glare Dutchy was giving her. She didn't really want to talk, because she didn't know what to say to him. Since this whole madness with the post-its had begun, her own behaviour had startled her. It was so unlike any way she would behave, and she could only think of one reason why she did it. Dutchy was making her behave like a raving lunatic.

She really needed to get out of here, find a reason to leave and think things over in the safety of her own apartment. Preferably with a big glass of wine. Maybe even more than one she thought. Lots of wine will probably help me see things a lot more clear. When she looked up she saw he was still looking at her in a curious way. Damn she thought I am not going to get out of this. Just as he was about to speak she realized there was a way to escape. Dutchy had left the shower running.

"You might want to turn off the shower" Kate said. "With the drought and all." Dutchy leapt up towards the bathroom to turn off the shower and make sure the bathroom hadn't flooded or anything. Kate used this moment as her chance, she quickly grabbed a post it from her handbag scribbled something and stuck it to the coffee table and ran.

Kate ran from his house towards her car as fast as her legs could carry her. She kept tripping over her high heels making her take her shoes off to continue running bare feet. When she finally reached her car she looked over her shoulder to see if Dutchy by any chance had followed her. Luckily he hadn't, and she quickly got into her car and sped away.

She made it to the main road quick enough, but she wasn't thinking clearly. More than once she ran through a red light overtook other cars on the wrong side. Right now she couldn't care less if she would get fined, even though she had never had a traffic fine in her entire life. At last she was close to her home, but an old lady driving her precious car carefully was blocking her way. Kate swore loudly and then realised her window was open. "Old people shouldn't be allowed to drive." She muttered. "They're a nuisance." Finally she saw her chance and overtook the old lady and pulled up on her driveway.

Kate leapt from her car and made it to her porch where she quickly retrieved the spare key from it's hiding place. She had to make sure that Dutchy wouldn't be able to get into her house, like she had done to his. When she managed to pull the key from the inside of the bird bath she quickly unlocked her front door and stepped inside. Finally she was able to breath again.

Without thinking any further, Kate made her way into the kitchen and opened her fridge to see if she had any white wine cooled. She was lucky and quickly uncorked the ridiculously expensive bottle she found and poured herself a glass filled to the brim. Instead of putting the bottle back, she took it with her to the living room to refill her glass as soon as it would be empty. She sighed when she sat down on the sofa and stared into space for a while. What the hell should I do she thought. This whole thing has turned into a huge mess.

Kate didn't get much time to think as she heard a car stop in front of her house. Within seconds she heard the crunch of feet on the gravel of the path and the doorbell rang. Without any thought she jumped up and hid behind the sofa. The doorbell rang again and she realised that whoever this was wouldn't go away this easily. Kate still hoped it wouldn't be Dutchy coming after her to talk, but the chance of this not being him was slim. She heard the squeak of the letterbox and Dutchy's voice boomed through the house. "Kate?" he called out. "I know you are in here. We really need to talk about what happened today and the last few weeks." He never got a reply.

Suddenly Kate realised the bottle of wine and the glass were still on the table and could give away her presence easily. On her hands and knees she crawled from behind the table to quickly retrieve the offending items. Safely behind the sofa Kate quickly to a swig from the bottle to calm her nerves. When that didn't help she took another few.

She was hoping Dutchy would go away if she stayed out of sight long enough. When most of the bottle of wine was gone, he still was sitting on her porch. Kate was feeling extremely light headed and slightly drunk and needed to pee. But she knew that as soon as she would leave her hiding place, he would see her and demand to talk. So she stayed and crossed her legs hoping she would last longer than he would.

Finally he gave up. Kate heard the letterbox rattle, the sound of footsteps on her footpath and opening and closing of a car door. For a moment she stayed where she was, knowing he hadn't started the car yet and her cover could easily be blown if she got up now. When she finally heard the car start and drive away, she leapt from behind the sofa to make a beeline for the toilet. Whatever he had thrown through the letterbox could wait until she had emptied her bladder.

With a relieved feeling she walked back into the living room. Her eye landed on her bottle of wine and she realised it wasn't empty yet. Quickly she resolved this problem by drinking the last bit and then made her way to her hall to check what Dutchy had left for her.

She froze when she saw the item on her doormat. A yellow post it stuck stuck to it. Kate crouched down to grab and read it. Seeing the message made her insides squirm. ´You do realise this is far from over…´


	11. Part 10

**Part 10**  
Dutchy clamped his fists around the steering wheel in frustration. "Damn her" he swore, "I really don't understand women." Kate wasn't anything like the convertible girls he usually chased. They were simple, fun and uncomplicated. Kate was the opposite. Of course she was funny, but she was the most difficult and complicated woman he had ever met. Maybe that was why he liked working her up so much, because she resisted the chase all the time, even though he could see she obviously wanted him. There was only one thing he could do, to keep on chasing her. He was cocky enough to believe that she would fall for his charms in the end. '_Women always do_..' he thought.

Frustrated he slowly drove past Kate's house one more time, but the house remained dark and uninviting, as if she wasn't there even though he knew she was because her car was parked on the drive. Clearly he had rattled her enough to have her hide somewhere in her dark house. Dutchy sighed and finally drove home. He felt tired and sweaty, after all, he hadn't been able to take his well deserved shower after working out in the gym because Kate caught him naked, again.

Finally at home, he grabbed a towel from the guestroom and he stripped down to his boxers and walked bare feet through his house towards the bathroom. All the way there he was flexing his tired muscles and he couldn't help admiring himself in the hallway mirror. '_I really don't understand how she can resist me_..' he thought while opening the shower cubicle. He stepped out of his boxers, got in the shower and let the hot water cascade over his tired body. He sighed happily and closed his eyes. As soon as he did, he was assaulted with the images of Kate and the way she had looked at him when seeing him naked. She looked shocked, but there was also something else, something she couldn't hide that well when her eyes wandered down his body. He recognised this look from all the other women he had dated when they had seen his firm Kate wasn't that shallow? His manhood surely wasn't the only appealing thing he owned? Dutchy shook his head to clear his mind of these images and reached for the tap. The nice hot shower, clearly had to become a cold one.

After cooling down, he turned off the cold water and stepped from the shower to dry himself and get dressed. In nothing but tight fitting boxers and a pair of shorts he got himself a beer and a couple of carrots and opened the doors to his patio. He put the beer down next to a comfortable chair, and walked to a shaded corner of his garden to check on Goldilocks and Thumper, his two fluffy pet rabbits. No one on the Hammersley actually knew he had them, as he would be teased mercilessly about it. He crouched down next to their cage and noticed they were well fed and watered. He was glad he had nice neighbours. He gave Goldilocks and Thumper their carrots and returned to his cold beer. He needed time to think and to do so, he needed alcohol.

Finally comfortable on the patio, he thought about the post-it Kate had left before running off. He didn't understand how she could write such daring notes, but not actually talk about it face to face. His cheeks flushed scarlet thinking about what she had written. '_Surely you didn't need to stand to attention for me_?' He knew she had referred to the erection he had had both times she was staring at his naked body. In his own note, he had told her that this post-it war between them was far from over, but with them on shore leave, he needed to find another way of communicating with her. Clearly driving over and leaving notes was not an option, as it would cost him gallons of petrol, not to mention time.

Suddenly he had an idea. During some R&R a while ago, most of the crew had downloaded the post-it app on their Iphones, and while the fun had lasted only a few hours before getting bored with it, he hadn't deleted the app, and hoped Kate hadn't either. Of course he could send her messages, but using the post-it app, his messages would at least still be in the same style as they had been lately. He smiled and quickly grabbed his phone.

Dutchy wasn't sure what to write as a first message. Quickly he began composing a note '_I've shown you mine, when will you show me yours?' _He shook his head, knowing she sure as hell wouldn't reply to that one. '_I wouldn't mind being your Tarzan_.' He grinned but quickly deleted it knowing she would kill him if he would send it. '_I wonder what you look like underneath your uniform..'_ Another one to delete, he decided. While fumbling with the app he had forgotten how to use, he accidentally sent the last one. Earning him a quick reply from Kate herself. _'Excuse me?'_ He smiled when he noticed that she actually replied to a message he didn't mean to send. _'Well what do you look like?'_ he texted back. His Iphone remained silent for several long minutes. Dutchy worried if Kate was actually going to reply. He grinned when she finally did. _'Wouldn't you like to know?'_. '_You want to come over and show me?'_ he wrote, knowing he was pushing it. '_No'_ was the quick reply. _'Please?' _he tried again. _'NO!'_ was another quick answer.

Dutchy took another swig of his beer, and wondered what to write next. In a way she sounded interested, but she ran away every single time. Too bad they had shore leave because while the ship was crowded with other people, at least she couldn't escape. While thinking about his next move, his mobile suddenly lit up, signalling another incoming message. He swiped to unlock his phone, and smiled at the message. He wondered how Kate would react.

Meanwhile Kate had finally felt safe enough to move from behind the sofa to on top of it. She had thought of returning to her safe haven when her phone started buzzing through messages from Dutchy. Obviously he was trying to push her buttons and so far he had succeeded very well. When she had replied the last message with a forceful NO, the phone remained unusually quiet. She sighed and took another drink of the wine, but realised she had finished the bottle already some time ago.

The moment she got up from the sofa to walk to the kitchen to get another bottle of wine, the phone started ringing. Without looking who it was, she answered the phone. "I already told you NO" she shouted to the person on the other end. She swallowed hard when realising the person on the other end was in fact not Dutchy as she had thought, but the CO telling her shore leave was over. She was never going to live this down.

_Dear audience, _

_This was the last part of Angelical. _

_To be continued_


	12. Part 11

_Dear audience,_

_The next parts of the story is my vision how this story can continue._

_I hope that you like these as much as the previous ones._

_Enjoy!_

**Part 11**

"Huh? Kate, are you okay? It's me, Mike", Mike answered quite surprised hearing her excited voice.

"Uh, I uh, sorry Mike, I …I had again some of these nasty phone calls. You know, one of those idiots from energy companies who keep on nagging you with price competition", she said in a hurry with pounding heart.

"Oh yes, I see. Yes, they can be very annoying", he replied.

Kate closed her eyes and blew out.

_Pfft, that was pretty close!_

"Kate, sorry for the shore leave, but we're crash sailed. It's quite urgent in fact. We have to sail within two hours", he said.

"Ah, okay , I'll be there", she said starting to sweat.

"Good, I'll hang up because I still have to call the others", he said before ending the call.

Kate hung up too and looked nervously around.

_Oh Jesus! We board in two hours, that means I have to be aboard within an hour!_

_Oh my God!, what now? I've to get sober again!_

_And I need a shower! The dust under his bed still sticks to my skin and I need some other underwear. He has turned me on like mad._

_Coffee! And strong!_

She hurried to the kitchen to prepare fresh coffee and drummed impatiently on the counter top with her fingers until the brew was ready. She swallowed two cups and almost burned her tongue. Cursing too hot coffee, she grabbed her phone from the table and ran to her bedroom.

She threw it on the bed and quickly undressed herself. When she wanted to open the door of her wardrobe, she saw her naked body in the mirror and an evil smile appeared on her face. The alcohol she had consumed made her audacious.

_You wonder what I look like underneath my uniform? Well, you'll find out but in my own good time!_

She grabbed a pair of high heeled pumps out of her wardrobe, put them on and took her smartphone. She turned her back to the mirror, bent her leg a little and made a photo of herself over her shoulder.

Kate giggled looking at the result.

_My revenge will be sweet! Both times I tried to respond to his jokes, it backfired on me, turned me on. Now it's his turn!_

She had a long lukewarm shower to clear her mind again.

When Kate returned to the bedroom, she noticed the time and got nervous.

"Jeez! Already so late? I've to be at the ship within twenty minutes and I still haven't put on anything!", she grumbled.

She put on her DPNU, grabbed some underwear, toiletries and other personal stuff and almost threw them in a sports bag.

Kate left her flat and hurried to the base.

Aboard, she dropped her bag in her cabin and rushed to the bridge from where Mike shot a disapproving look at her.

"You're late X", he said simply.

"I'm sorry sir, it was so rushed", she replied breathless.

"Kate, are you ok?", he asked worriedly, looking at her blushing face and still damp hair.

"Yeah yeah, I'm fine. Sure. What do we have to do?", she asked.

Mike raised his eyebrows. "Okay, if you say so. Uh, we need to help customs intercept the illegal shipment of alcohol. Two vessels are suspected. One is carrying alcohol, the other is not. The problem is that customs don't know which one. We have to check one and the Bundaberg the other", he said.

2Dads overheard the conversation and suddenly became interested, "Sir, if we catch her, maybe we can keep a few bottles for one of our beach events?".

"In your dreams 2Dads! And don't even think about it", replied Mike which made the sailors at the bridge roared with laughter.

That's when Dutchy came to the bridge and looked around amused, "Hmm, it looks like I missed something. "

He noticed Kate and greeted her, "Hey X".

"Sir, the ship is ready to leave", he announced.

"Great! Let's go", Mike announced.

"X, set a course to Lizard island. We'll receive more details from customs later", he ordered.

"Aye sir", she answered.

Dutchy and Kate were so busy that they didn't have time to talk to each other except for professional matters.

A few hours later she left the bridge and headed for her cabin.

_Pfft, finally I can unpack and have supper. It was close this afternoon. I better be careful._

She opened her cabin door and was relieved to see that her sports bag was still there where she left it.

She closed the door and put the bag on her desk. She unzipped the bag and opened her locker. Frightened she took a step back seeing her blue dress in front of the locker with a yellow post-it on it.

"Jeez, Dutchy! You've been snooping around again", she muttered.

She took one more step and detached the paper from the dress.

It said 'I want to see you in this one. I've never seen it' and smiled.

_I brought it back a few patrols ago. I thought it might be nice to wear it when we could take a break. Now I don't know how to feel, angry or flattered._

She put the post-it on the shelf of her locker and scanned her cabin for other post-it notes. Kate wandered through her cabin with a smile on her face just like a child who was looking for some hidden sweets.

Her keen eye noticed some ripples of the sheets of her bunk.

"You gave yourself away buddy!", she mumbled pushing the sheets away.

The little teddy bear had a yellow post-it on its belly.

She shook her head reading it, 'Am I not a bit too little for you? You definitely need something bigger'.

Excited she walked to the bathroom and yanked open the door.

"I knew it!", she said removing another post-it from the mirror.

With a broad smile she read it, 'I still have a pending question'.

"You'll get your answer, mate, and faster than you think", she said faintly.

Then she frowned seeing a yellowish shine behind the curtain of the shower cubicle. A bit reluctant she pulled the curtain open and see her orange aloha dress on a hanger hanging from the shower head, a post-it stuck on it.

She snatched the paper off and read. 'You must be particularly gorgeous in this one. On occasion, wear it for me'.

"You're really kind", she murmured coming back to the cabin with the dress and the note.

_Time flies. When did I wear this dress? Nikki was still aboard. It was an evening on that tropical island. We took a short break and the guys partied. Mike bought this kind of shirt at the local store and insisted that I buy one too. The shirt was too long and it became a dress, but I wasn't sure I liked the pattern. I still had doubts about that, but I kept it because it was the only thing he was enthusiastic about._

She put the dress back in the locker and put the note on the top shelf.

_I keep them. They're nice._

_To be continued_


	13. Part 12

**Part 12**

Nothing special happened afterwards. Kate unpacked her things and had supper. Dutchy was on watch and she could read a bit in her bunk and had a good night's sleep.

The next morning Kate was bent over the chart to plot a course.

_I'm so excited to send him my photo, but not anytime. It must be when he's with others, to bring him in an uneasy situation. I know how he reacted when he saw me and I want to see his reaction with the photo. It's going to be hilarious, I…_

"X!", she suddenly heard and straightened up.

"X, what's the matter? Planet Earth to astronaut X! I called you three times!", Mike said irritated.

"I…I'm sorry sir", she stammered.

"Are you feeling well? Did you have a bad night?", he asked more worried.

"No no sir, I'm fine. I was just lost in thoughts about our course, sir", Kate said slightly blushing.

"Okay, what did customs say about the suspected boat?", he asked.

"Uh, yes, the boat. We should intercept her on the south side. There's a path to the airfield", she replied.

"Hmm, sounds logical", Mike answered rubbing his chin.

"When will we get there?"

"With this speed, at 1600 hours, sir", she replied.

"Nice, get the coordinates across to the swain", he ordered.

"Okay sir", she replied.

_Jeez, that was close again! Stop thinking Kate, this is not good ._

At that moment, Dutchy came to the bridge and addressed to Mike.

"Sir, I want to give a little combat training to the boarding teams to distract them a bit", he said.

"Ah! Yes, go for it Dutchy. It's a good idea", Mike replied.

"Okay sir", he said and grabbed the microphone.

"Boarding crews to the quarter deck for a training, boarding crews to the quarter deck for a training", he announced and left the bridge.

Kate watched him leave.

_Hmm, it's not only a good idea, it's a perfect idea._

She waited a few minutes and headed for the bridge wing to watch at him and the crews on the quarter deck.

Kate grabbed her smartphone and sent him the photo with the text, 'I still had to answer you'. With a smile on her face she waited for the reaction.

He was busy explaining something when his phone beeped. He took it out of his pocket, opened the WhatsApp application and saw Kate's naked photo.

He felt the heat rise from his neck to his forehead and also something jump in his trousers.

_Damn you! _

"What's up Dutchy? Big boobs on the screen? You're as red as a beetroot", 2Dads squealed.

"Shut up rascal! You'd better watch your opponent", he said and he seemed satisfy to see how Harpie floored 2Dads in one take.

Kate couldn't hide a smile seeing the scene at quarter deck. She also saw how uneasy Dutchy was, shifting from foot to foot.

_Now you've got what you deserve._

Kate and Dutchy met each other back again at lunch time. As soon as they got their lunch from Bomber they walked away and he whispered to her, "X, you're mean. No, evil is a more appropriate word".

She looked at him innocently, "Didn't you like it?"

"No", he grumbled.

Now she looked daggers at him, "What? Am I not pretty enough?"

He rolled his eyes, "Now you're evil again. Sure you are!".

"Ah!", she whispered again with a radiant smile.

"I'll pay you back for this", he whispered again.

"Enjoy your lunch X", he said loudly.

"Same to you Dutchy", she replied smiling.

After lunch, Mike gathered Kate and the senior NCO's to discuss the upcoming action.

He unfolded a chart and pointed to a small jetty where customs expected smugglers to bring the illegal alcohol ashore.

"Customs have a shore team near the jetty. We'll also send a team ashore to support them. They expect the smugglers bring the cargo to an airplane. We will approach from behind the horizon and the island. Team two's Rhib will be completely invisible with the island at the back and that means they will be able to approach without being seen and board the suspicious boat in no time. We need to film everything to collectt evidence. So make sure the batteries are charged and the camera is working. Test if first. Regarding the teams…", he said looking at the people around him.

Kate was focused on the map and busy mentally planning the action.

_I'll be team two. Harpie or 2Dads? Harpie. 2Dads is better with Dutchy. Dutchy… what is he going to do to make me pay the photo joke? I'd better lock my personal stuff, otherwise I'll find them in the junior sailors' mess. No. He's not like that. He's going to do something smarter…_

Dutchy was also studying the map.

_Two teams. Kate in one team and I guess that I'll get the other one. I'll probably be in charge of the shore task. Who will she take as her second man? Hmm, what can I do to tease her? Her teddy bear? Nah, I did already something with it. Something in her bathroom?..._

Mike raised his eyebrows seeing that his executive officer and his bosun were seemingly distracted by something.

He snapped his fingers in front of Dutchy's face.

"Hey! Stay focused!"

He straightened up and looked around focusing on Kate for a moment.

"I know we were on shore leave but now we're crash sailed. It was not my idea and I can't help it, but it's a task that we must accomplish. So stay focused for a couple of hours and then you can relax at home for the rest of the shore leave, okay?", he said irritated.

"Yes sir and sorry" followed.

He frowned and tapped the map. "Okay, that's better. So, I said….", he continued.

After the briefing they moved away to prepare their teams.

Kate suddenly heard the signal of a message and grabbed her smartphone.

She saw a post-it on the screen with 'A truce? It gets out of hand'.

She replied, 'Deal!'

Dutchy got Team 1 and was sent to shore, while Kate got Team 2 to intercept the ship. It turned out that the ship was not that of the smugglers. The Bundaberg won the price. Team 2 could only help to arrest the smugglers on shore.

After the operation Mike made an announcement at the microphone.

"Your attention please. This is the captain speaking. The operation was a success. The Bundaberg intercepted the smugglers while we were successfully helping customs ashore. They sent us their compliments. It also means we can go back to base for our shore leave. Keep going", he said.

"Success, success? A complete disaster, that's it", 2Dads muttered to Charge, but Mike heard it.

"2Dads, why do you think it's a disaster?", he asked.

"Oh sir, if we could have caught the booze-ship, we could have kept a few bottles for ourselves, for one of our barbecues or parties", he said.

Mike laughed, "Then I'm happy we missed her. Too much alcohol is bad for the brain and the body", he replied.

"If you say so, sir", 2Dads answered dejected.

The Hammersley arrived in Cairns and the crew left the ship.

Mike knocked at Kate's door and waited.

"Yeah, come in", he heard and entered.

"Oh sir", she replied a bit surprised.

"Kate, I, uh… I wanted to ask you if we could have dinner tomorrow. What do you think?", he asked.

"Yeah, that's ok", Kate answered, smiling while holding things to put in her sports bag.

_To be continued_


	14. Part 13

**Part 13**

The next day, Kate woke up late and went to the kitchen to make a pot of coffee. She put a plate, a saucer, a cup, toast and some marmalade on the table and turned on the radio. She looked dreamily at the garden.

_2Dads face was priceless when we didn't caught the booze-boat and I guess Mike was more than happy that the Bundaberg caught them and not us. The combination booze and 2Dads could have been a far bigger problem than some smugglers. On shore, it was a little different. Dutchy and his team had a little bit more action. Huh? Dutchy… Any messages?_

She headed quickly for her bedroom to grab her mobile. Coming back she checked the messages.

_Nothing._

_Maybe, in the post box._

She checked it out and came back frowning.

_Nothing. _

_He means it, really._

_Good. _

_Boring. _

_Huh? You should be happy that this comedy has stopped, but you seem to regret it. What's wrong with you Kate?_

Slightly irritated she poured herself a cup of coffee and sat down. She crossed her legs and her short transparent nightgown covered her just enough to be decent.

She had breakfast while the sun was caressing her body.

_Just, get it out of your mind Kate. It's just banter and pranks. When we come back in a week, he will have forgotten the whole thing. Enjoy dinner with Mike tonight._

_Meanwhile…. Spoil yourself. Have a bath, go to the hairdresser, buy something new and wear it tonight. _

_Yeah, that's the plan_.

She smiled and stood up, collected the plate and the cup, put them into the sink and went to the bathroom.

That evening, Kate headed for the restaurant. The distance was too short to get there by car, so. It was a splendid, relaxing day. She had her hair done and wore the dress she had just bought, a blue one with a small pattern of white flowers. Perfect and Kate couldn't imagine what could go wrong. When she reached the restaurant, she saw Mike sitting on the terrace. As soon as he saw her, he stood up and greeted her,

"Hi Kate, how are you?"

"I'm fine, thank you", she replied, sitting down.

"Good, what do you think of a drink to start with?", he asked also sitting down.

"A dry sherry", Kate answered.

_Hey, I'm wearing something new. And have you seen my shoes? I've had them for years now and they match perfectly._

"Nice, I'm going to have a beer. It looks like the cook is suggesting lamb", he said.

He ordered the drinks.

"I think I'm going to have a steak and you?", he asked, looking at the menu.

"I like the lamb", Kate answered.

Meanwhile they got their drinks.

"Cheers! To a successful operation", said Mike, raising his glass and they made the glasses clink.

"What do you think of our last operation?", he asked.

Kate raised her eyebrows, "Good. Nothing went wrong", she answered rather reluctant.

_Mike are you really going to jabber about the smugglers' mission tonight? Didn't you notice my hair? I went to the hairdresser._

"Well, it was fine up to a certain level, but if you look more in detail, then you'll see that the plan was rather clumsy. I did it. Today I checked all the customs' reports for the preparation of the operation and there are a lot of gaps and unanswered questions …..", he told.

Mike continued to talk about the operation, the crew, the ship and even Navcom and Kate forced herself to show an interested smile but she was disappointed.

_Is this a date? Sounds more than a working lunch. He said nothing about my dress, my shoes, my hair, only about work and work and still work. He doesn't need a wife, because he's already wedded to his work. Dylan would have said something about my outfit. Oh yes, I'm absolutely sure. I think I'll give it another try._

"Mike?", she started.

"Yes?"

"What do you think of my hair? I went to the hairdresser this afternoon", she asked, showing him her profile.

"Oh? Nice, Kate, very nice. Do you know what Maxine told me recently?", he continued.

His answer hit her as a freight train. She had a lump in her throat and suddenly wanted to be at home.

"No, I don't know", she replied plainly.

_And I don't want to know either…_

Kate put a smile on her face, nodded from time to time and gave answers on what she should to answer.

Finally came the time for the bill. He wanted to pay and usually she insisted on sharing the bill, but tonight, she didn't even protest politely. He paid. Once outside he looked at her.

"Shall I take you home or do you want to watch a DVD at my place?", he asked.

She smiled sadly at him.

_Mike, that's a hidden proposal to have sex. No thanks!_

"Sorry Mike. I've headache. I thought it would pass, but it's still there. I think a good night's sleep will work a miracle", she replied.

"Ah? Okay, it was just a proposal. Well, it was a nice evening and take care of yourself", he said.

"Thank you for the dinner Mike and good night", she answered, smiling back before going home.

When she entered her house, she stopped in the entrance hall to look in the mirror.

"Well, I don't know what's wrong with that? It's a pretty dress and blue and white are also in my shoes", she said to her reflection in the mirror.

She turned her head to look at her coiffure," And it's not bad either".

She put her handbag on the table and walked over to the couch. She plopped down, took off her shoes and turned on the TV. She browsed the channels without being interested and finally turned it off.

_I can't concentrate. I'd better go to bed and forget about this lousy evening. Tomorrow my mind will be clearer and I hope that this will help me to see things better._

Kate stood up, took her shoes and headed for the bedroom.

_To be continued_


	15. Part 14

**Part 14**

When Kate woke up the next morning, the first thing that popped into her mind was the dinner with Mike. She stared at the ceiling blankly.

_What a miserable scene it was last evening. I had my expectations, nothing came true and I'm disappointed me. He didn't say anything about my outfit. If I had popped up in T-shirt and jeans, he wouldn't even have noticed._

She sighed and glanced at the nightstand alarm clock. She saw her smartphone and smiled.

_Maybe there are messages._

The smile disappeared seeing that there were no messages.

_He doesn't send me post-it notes anymore._

_Too bad._

_Okay, coffee! Shower! Breakfast!_

Kate yanked the sheets and went to the kitchen to prepare a cup of coffee.

When she was enjoying her coffee, her thoughts wandered.

_Mike? You don't take an interest in me as partner, but only as a companion to have a good time ashore and some sex as icing on the cake. No more, no less! What have I hoped all these years? I don't know anymore. I wanted a relationship with the man I thought loved me too. I tried, over and over again, but he ignored me every time. Was I wrong? Wasn't he just a little too enthusiastic about the operation last night? Am I blind again? Am I still busy trying to convince myself that it was only the situation of the moment and that he will be normal again today? Am I still busy doing a whole show for myself?_

_Get out of your house! Get away! Don't stay in Cairns. Change your mind and think about something else. You have a lot free time, more than a week shore leave._

_Yes, that's the boosting I need!_

She brutally put down her cup on the counter top.

After having breakfast, Kate sat down at the living room table and opened her laptop to search for last minute bookings.

_London? I would love to go back. I was nine when I last saw the city. But there's little time left to organise this and far too expensive to do it in a hurry. It's the same for Venice and Rome. Hmm…. Melbourne? Yes, Melbourne. I've never been there before. Ok, it's decided! Now a flight and a hotel. _

At that time, a beep announced an incoming message. She eagerly grabbed her smartphone and opened the application.

She frowned.

_Mike._

'What are your plans for today and the shore leave?'

_Nah!_

She answered, 'I need some space Mike. I'll see you on the ship in a week's time', she typed and pressed the Send key.

_Well done Kate!_

_Now a flight!_

A few minutes later, she stood up and went to the bedroom to pack.

_I don't have to hesitate now, my flight is in three hours. It's autumn there now, so take some warm clothes._

Her smartphone beeped again.

_I can already guess who it is._

She saw the message.

'How can I convince you to do something together?'

She sighed and put the device back in her pocket.

_Mike, no. I said I needed some space to think about what I wanted to do with my life. No, I'll not answer. My answer was clear._

_You'd better hurry up if you don't want to see him pop up at your door._

Ten minutes later, she closed the door and headed for her car with her suitcase to drive to the airport.

Three days later.

In the Blue Mountains.

Dylan decided to go hiking. He walked from mountain refuge to mountain refuge. The golden colours of autumn and the view on the peaks were splendid. It helped him to think about the last few weeks.

He reached one of the heights and sat down. He grabbed a biscuit out of his backpack, took a bite and looked at the panorama.

_Marvellous! I should do it more often._

_It was good to do this trip, so I can focus on something else._

_It all started with a simple task and my curiosity to learn more about Kate got the upper hand. Teasing her was fun. But strangely enough, she started playing too._

_It's good that it stopped, because it got out of hand. Well, almost._

_But, I found out a lot about her. She's not as classic and stern as she looks. She likes sexy underwear and she likes to be teased. A competitive woman._

He sighed.

_I thought that this hiking tour would allow me to forget her, that I could see her again as our executive officer._

_But, I can't. I can't get her out of my mind. She's not like the other women I met in bars. She's special. I can't explain, but I really want to get to know her better to move on._

He sighed again and ate his biscuit.

_The point is that I don't know if it's reciprocal._

_There's only one way to find out. I'll ask her for a drink._

He grinned and grabbed his smartphone.

He opened the Post-it application, typed a word and sent it to her.

With a satisfied smile he looked around.

_And now let's wait. Will she or won't she? I think she will._

Melbourne.

The weather wasn't welcoming. Cloudy, drizzle, rain and occasionally a little sun. But it couldn't bother Kate. Well armed against bad weather with boots, a jeans, a raincoat and an umbrella, she wandered around the city. She walked the shopping streets, bought few things, visited a few museums, went to the cinema and the theatre. For the moment, she was sitting in a cake shop enjoying a piece of apple cake with a cup of hot chocolate. She looked dreamily at the people in the street under their umbrellas.

_These holidays were splendid. I could clear my mind and made some decisions. When I come back, I tell Mike that it's over. I'm going to live my own life. I'm going to have fun and if I encounter a nice guy, I'll see how it goes. No rush, no hurry! I'm a free woman!_

At that moment, the sound of an incoming message was heard on her smartphone.

She took it out of her handbag and saw that it was the Post-it application.

'A challenge?'

She stared at it for a moment.

_Really?_

_Is this going to start again?_

_Oh my goodness!_

Irritated she put the smartphone back in her handbag and ate the rest of her cake.

With a frown she looked out.

_I almost forgot it. These childish things. For God's sake I'm thirty-seven._

She took a sip.

_He didn't forget me._

_That means he's still taking an interest in me._

Smiling she took the smartphone out of her handbag and read the message again.

'A challenge?'

_What does that mean?_

She patted several times the palm of her hand with her phone.

_What should I do?_

_To ignore?_

_To accept?_

_Kate, confess that you couldn't get Dylan out of your mind these days. Say yes!_

_I do it! I can't wait to see what's going to happen again._

With a cheeky smile she typed, 'Try me', and she hit the key Send.

A few thousand kilometres further north, the Blue Mountains.

Dylan looked surprised to hear his smartphone beep.

"It's fast", he mumbled reading her answer and chuckled.

"Typically Kate, try me".

_Yeah, okay, what are we going to say?_

He rubbed his chin.

_Okay_.

He typed 'A drink together at the Court House Hotel in Port Douglas, the day before we start a new patrol at 2:00 pm', and pressed the Send key.

With a satisfied smile he looked at the panorama.

_Now I'm curious to see what she's going to do. It could be decisive for both of us._

Melbourne

A beep announced a reply and Kate eagerly opened the application.

_Hmm, a drink? Is this a challenge? Port Douglas? Seventy kilometres for a drink! Isn't it a bit exaggerated? Hmm, that's the challenge. He wants to see if I'm going to be able to do a round trip of one hundred and forty kilometres to have a drink. It's a test to see if I'm really interested. Clever guy._

She beckoned the waitress over to pay and meanwhile she typed 'OK' and sent the message.

When she put on her coat, there was a sparkle in her eye.

_I'm also going to test you buddy. But for that I've to buy something._

_To be continued_


	16. Part 15

**Part 15**

Three days later in Port Douglas.

Kate parked her car not too close to the Court House Hotel to avoid recognition.

She had intentionally arrived thirty minutes earlier to see him enter. She took place on a bar stool from where she could oversee the room and people could see her. She ordered an orange juice and kept herself busy with her smartphone while watching the guests.

A few minutes before 2.00 pm, she saw Dylan enter. He looked around, glanced at her without recognising her and walked over to a table. He ordered a coffee and looked out. From time to time, he looked around. After ten minutes, she stood up.

Dylan also arrived in Port Douglas. He looked at his watch and nodded.

_Nice, a few minutes before two._

He entered and scanned the room for a wellknown person. Still Nobody. There were not many people at the hotel yet. It was a working day and the tourist season was over. It was even a bit boring, for most of the elderly, except the brunette at the bar. She was wearing a tight black V-neck T-shirt, black skinny jeans and black high heeled pumps over her bare feet. She had crossed her legs, showing her foot in her lovely shoe. A real hottie. But, it was not the woman he was waiting for. He looked outside at the sea and he looked around again. The brunette on the bar stool was now swinging at the same pace as her foot, the shoe hanging from her toes. _What was this pretty woman doing here? Was she waiting for someone?_

He looked at his watch.

_Ten minutes past two. It's not Kate's style. Moreover there was no traffic jam between Cairns and here. She probably didn't accept the challenge._

_Shit, the pretty brunette is coming straight to me. Looks like she wants to sit down. What if Kate.._

"Sorry, miss, I'm waiting for…", he started, but he looked bewildered at the brunette.

"Well I'll be damned!", he muttered.

"A challenge has to be recursive, no?", said Kate, sitting down and taking off the brown wig.

He shook his head, "Oh, X, you're mean!", he said grinning.

"Dylan, it's Kate, no more X", she answered with a broad smile, running her hand trough her hair to readjust her coiffure.

"Okay, Kate."

"So you wanted to test me?", he asked.

_She uses my first name for the first time!_

"Exactly, just like you wanted to test me", she replied confidently.

"Hmm, and, did I pass the test?"

"You've giving the only correct answer to the ultimate test, but you eyeballed me when I was at the bar", she answered still confidently.

"No wonder! I've never seen you so… er, dressed like that", he said looking for the right words.

"It was part of the test", she replied with a grin.

"Well, you can say that you succeeded . Kate, you look amazing in this outfit. No, that's not enough. You're simply hot!", he said.

She couldn't help herself and felt her face getting reddish. Kate couldn't find an appropriate answer because she had never dressed like that. She simply gave him a disarming smile.

"You should wear this kind of outfit more often. It really suits you", he added.

The redness was now attacking her face, "Dylan, stop, you're making me blush".

"Kate, I mean it. And you also passed the test. What do you want to drink?", he asked.

"A glass of white wine, but I'll stick to one, because someone had the crazy idea to ask me for a drink seventy kilometres from the city. So, I need to have a clear head", she answered.

"Yeah, it might not have been such a bright idea", he mumbled.

"Then I'll stick to one beer too. Distance, you see".

"So, here we are", said Kate after he ordered the drinks.

He nodded, "Indeed, it all started in a weird way, by looking for your stuff…", he started.

"Snooping you mean", Kate interrupted him, raising an eyebrow.

"Not exactly, only by looking carefully to find the things you needed", he replied.

"Correction. Snooping in the things that interested you", she corrected him.

"I had to find them", he said in his defence raising both hands.

Meanwhile they got their drinks.

She shook her head, chuckling.

"Are you still mad at me?", he asked, taking his glass.

"If I were, I wouldn't be here", she replied deadpan, also taking her glass.

"Cheers!", he said clinking the glasses.

They took a sip.

"How all this started? Post-it notes, I mean", Kate asked.

Dylan shrugged, "Quite innocently in fact. I was thirsty and had the last beer. I used one to tell you that the tenner was for the beer. Afterwards, I got the idea that it could be fun to stick them everywhere with a message", he replied smiling.

Kate nodded, "Yeah, the messages were crystal clear, especially about my clothes", she said a bit sarcastically.

He opened his hands, "Kate, you have to agree, that brown dress is nothing for you. There are much better things for you", he said.

"Dylan, I know, I know and you don't have to worry about it anymore. It's already gone to the garbage dump", she replied.

"You see, that was a good advice", he said grinning.

"So, you know a lot about me now. Did you expect it or did you discover something while you were… looking carefully?", Kate asked.

"Well, you surprised me. You've always been a very enigmatic woman. Intelligent, stern, uncompromising, difficult to read, but on the other hand, kind and honest. So, I was convinced that you were a very classic person. But, I was wrong. I didn't expect you to like … spicy things", he said and the last part of his sentence was whispered.

Kate gave him a mysterious smile, "I'm still a woman you know, not a machine. It's not because I'm working in a Spartan environment, that I also have to be Spartan in private, no?"

"I started to like you even more. The human Kate McGregor".

"However, it surprised me also to find a small toy", he said in a conspiracy tone.

Kate looked at him with a poker face, "Well, big sailor, it's not because I'm a woman that I can't have sexual arousals. You would think that only men need sex, well, I can tell you that it's not true. Women need it too, so do I", she said deadpan.

He grinned back, "So you…", and he waggled with his hand.

"Oh no sailor, I'm very reluctant to have sexual intercourse with casual lovers, that's why I often have to replace the batteries", she said dryly.

He chuckled and shook his head, "You know what Kate? I saw your tidy apartment, you're a control freak and now this. Well, you're fantastic", he said.

"Really? Don't overdo it", she said in her defence, but her heart jumped in her chest.

_In fact he says he likes me! Mike never told me that!_

He tried to show her an indignantly look, "Do I seem to be making fun of you?"

_It was her defence._

"No, I'm sorry. Did you find out more?", she asked.

_My DVD's? My passion for romantic movies?_

He shook his head, "Nope."

"Luckily", let out Kate.

_Damn! What am I saying now?_

Dylan frowned, "Luckily? Did I miss something? ", he asked.

"Uhm, no. You'll find out later", she stammered.

_Jeez Kate, what are you still saying? You are offering yourself for free!_

"Oh? I think we have to get to know each other better, don't you think?", he asked.

"Much better? Do you mean another challenge ?", asked Kate.

_It's a crystal clear question._

"Ah? Hmm, another challenge, yes", he replied.

_You mean a date Kate, a date!_

"It's a good idea".

"How did you spend your shore leave?", he asked to move on to an innocent subject.

"I went to Melbourne", she said, seemingly relieved.

"Hmm, alone?", he asked.

_With Mike for sure._

"Yep, alone. I just wanted to do what came to mind. No questions, no obligations. Although, it wasn't quite random. It was my first trip to Melbourne and I visited a few museums, watched a movie and went to the theatre. I prefer a musical, but there were none", she said.

"Oh, do you like musicals?", he asked.

She scowled, "Yes, I do. Is it strange?"

"No, not at all, on the contrary. But I could never have guessed it", he answered.

Kate grinned, "You probably thought my favourite reading were Navy textbooks, huh? Well, you're still wrong buddy",

He spread his large hands as an excuse, "Apparently".

"And what did you do during the shore leave?", she asked.

"I hiked in the Blue Mountains. I was on a peak when I challenged you", he said.

"Oh".

He nodded, "It was great. I'm going to do it again and why don't you come with me the next time? It's wonderful in this season. The sky is crystal clear, you can see for miles and the colours are superb", he said.

"Hmm, maybe", she mused.

They chatted about this and that the rest of the afternoon until it was time to return to Cairns.

They said goodbye in front of the hotel and just when Kate was going to turn around to get her car, he said, "Uhm, Kate, I still owe you something".

She frowned, "Sorry Dylan, did I forget something?"

"You sent me a beautiful photo of you, which I still have, but it was not the right time", he said with a grin.

"Ah, uhm, yes, hihi, bad timing probably", she giggled.

"Well, see you tomorrow aboard Kate", he said, smiling before turning around.

With mixed feelings she drove home.

_What did he mean by 'owing me something'? What the hell does he have in mind? Publish a photo of me on the web? No. he's not like that. But what?_

…

_It was a good challenge. The next one will be for me. But what?_

…

_We had a pleasant afternoon. _

_He's a nice guy. We talked a lot and he never mentioned our job or the ship. Wonderful. Mike was always talking about the Navy. With Dylan I realise that there's yet another world. He said that I his heart. Well, I have to admit that I can't wait to see him again tomorrow. He does something to me. _

A smile appeared on her face.

_I wonder what he looks like in a suit. he must surely be irresistible. _

_Yes, that's it! The challenge. I'll invite him to dinner in one of the best restaurants and he'll have to wear a suit. Oh, it's going to be great!_

When she entered her house she stopped in the entrance hall and looked at herself in the large mirror.

_Hmm, I wore them on purpose to test him. It's not my style, but after hearing his comments and looking at me now, hmm, I agree with him, it really suits me. Maybe should I reconsider my choice of clothes. I've to clean up my wardrobe, but it will be for my next shore leave. Tomorrow we're sailing again._

Dylan went home whistling.

_It was great. I didn't expect such a good chat with her. It looked like we had known each other already for years. So easy. Moreover she dared to do something back. _

_Her wig. Splendid! And she's beautiful. I'm just wondering how stable her love affair with Mike is. She went alone to Melbourne. Isn't it a bit strange when you're in a relationship? Normally you go on a city trip together, no? _

_I guess, it's over between them, but I can't prove it._

_I'll see what I can do during our next shore leave. _

_To be continued_


	17. Part 16

**Part 16**

The next day Kate boarded and, by chance, she came across Dutchy.

"Ah! Good morning X. Did you have a good shore leave?", he asked.

"Absolutely! Thank you and you?", she replied, smiling at him.

"Great. I've been in the mountains", he replied, acting as if nothing happened.

A few minutes later, she was at the bridge and Mike greeted her as usual.

"Good morning X. Did you enjoy your shore leave to go on a great patrol?", he asked her.

"Certainly sir."

_I'd better ask him for a talk, before he asks me. It would be embarrassing._

"Sir, could I have a word in private?", she asked him.

"Oh, yes. When we're at sea. Now we have to get the ship out", he replied.

At the same moment Kate's smartphone beeped.

She walked away from Mike, grabbing the device. She opened the application and saw a post-it with 'Have a good patrol.'.

She smiled and replied 'Same to you'.

Two hours later, Mike walked to her, "X, we can have word now".

"Okay sir", she answered and followed him.

Mike entered his cabin, turned around and leaned against his desk. He waited for Kate to close the door and started.

"Kate, how was your shore leave? Is everything all right, because you said you needed some space".

Kate was a moment baffled by his direct approach and swallowed.

_Damn, I should have taken the first step. Now it looks like I didn't say anything._

"Mike, indeed I needed time to think. Think about us. I've been away and I had the opportunity to do so. If you look back at all our attempts to start a relationship, then you have to admit that nothing happened. You are the Navy man and for you everything revolves around the Navy, but that's not me. I don't feel the same way", she said.

He frowned, "But Kate, you wanted to achieve the highest rank in the Navy, you lived for the Navy, you thought Navy. We are two of a kind", he said.

"Yes Mike, I know. I was like that, but it was years ago. Now I realise that there's much more behind the Navy gate. I should have realised that much sooner. I want a life outside the Navy. The Navy is my job, but the Navy is not my life, if you catch my drift", she said.

"And?", he asked, frowning.

"I see you don't understand. What I mean, Mike, is that a relationship between us will never work. I'm sorry. I'm going to live my own life and maybe I can give it another dimension. So I hope you can do the same", she said leaning against the door, her hand in her pockets.

It was quiet. Both were looking at each other. Finally he nodded with a grimace. "Yeah, if that's how it is, then…", he shrugged his shoulders.

"I'm sorry, I apparently had another idea about it".

He straightened up, "Well Kate, I can only wish you good luck for the rest of your life", he said.

She also straightened up, "Thank you", she said as she opened the door and left.

Mike followed her to the bridge. "My chair!", he grumbled.

The petty officer looked at him surprised by his mood swing and left the captain's chair.

The rest of the day passed very calmly. The crew felt that something was wrong, but they couldn't define what it was.

That night, Kate sat at her desk and opened the Post-it application on her smartphone.

She hesitated for a moment and started typing with a smile on her face.

'A challenge?'

She put the device down and looked eagerly at it waiting for an answer.

_He's on watch for the moment and it's quiet on the bridge. So, he can't miss it._

Kate didn't have to wait long, a chime announced a reply.

A post-it said :

'Tell me'.

With a broad smile she typed :

'First day of the next shore leave. Dinner with me at Reef House restaurant in Palm Cove at 19:00 hours. In a suit! '.

She pushed the key Send and waited.

The response came rapidly : 'Okay. Pick me up'.

She raised her eyebrows.

_Pick me up? It's unusual. Usually we end up on the spot or it's the man who picks the lady up._

_Nah, Dylan is definitely not a classic person._

…

_Hmm, what am I going to wear?_

Dylan was sitting in the captain's chair staring out at the darkness when his mobile beeped.

He grabbed the device and opened the application.

'A challenge?'

He smiled.

_Yes! It means she likes me. I'm a lucky guy._

He answered.

'Tell me'.

The answer followed rapidly.

'First day of the next shore leave. Dinner with me at Reef House restaurant in Palm Cove at 19:00 hours. In a suit! '.

He couldn't repress a chuckle.

_Is this a challenge? In a suit. She probably thinks I don't have one. You're wrong Katie. I've got one in my wardrobe. It's a low-hanging fruit!_

_But Katie, a challenge must also be recursive. I have a good way to test you and I'm sure you'll lose, again! But for that, you have to come to my house._

Smiling he typed, 'Okay. Pick me up'.

_To be continued_


	18. Part 17

**Part 17**

The patrol, like so many others, went off without a hitch.

They were on shore leave and it was dinner night at the restaurant.

Kate couldn't help it, but she was excited about the upcoming evening.

She looked at herself in the mirror and nodded satisfied. She had let her hair down over her shoulders. For this occasion, she had bought a tight blue sleeveless dress that came to her mid-thigh with a pretty neckline. Kate was wearing lipstick and a bit of eyeshadow.

_This should work. He told me the last time that my black tight outfit suited me very well._

She put on the same high-heeled pumps as the last time, grabbed her purse, her car keys and left.

Ten minutes later she parked her car in front of his house. She took a deep breath and rang the doorbell.

He didn't open the door immediately and she started to frown.

_Would he have forgotten? No. Mike would be capable of doing it, but not Dylan, not him. He…_

At the same moment the door opened and he peered outside, smiling.

"Hey Kate! Good evening. Come in please".

"Hey Dylan", she greeted him joyously as she entered and turned around to see him.

"Sorry Kate, I went running and I ran too far. So I'm a bit late. I still have to shower, you know, but it won't take long", he said.

He wore a bathrobe deliberately open on his naked body.

Her eyes wandered over his body, stopping at his manhood. A heat wave spread throughout her body and the blush started to invade her face.

"My face is still up there Kate", he said with a grin.

She was blushing to the roots of her hair when she looked up.

"Uh..."

"Kate, you're stunning!", he said.

"Ah, uh, thank you" she stammered.

"Kate, please take a seat. I'll give you a drink and then I'll have a quick shower", urging her gently with his arm to the couch.

"What would you like to drink?"

"Uh…a white wine please", she stuttered.

He walked to the kitchen and returned with a glass of wine, his bathrobe still wide open.

Kate's throat became dry and she couldn't keep her eyes at the level of his and stared again at his naked appearance.

"Here you are", he said offering her the glass.

She swallowed heavily, "Tha.. thank you", she croaked out.

"Enjoy, I'll be back in a minute", he said smiling.

For at least a minute Kate stared at the door through which he had left , the glass of wine intact in her hand.

She shook her head to try to come to her senses.

_Damn! _

She took a deep gulp and sighed hoping that the alcohol would calm her.

Jeez Dylan, _You've got me! You succeeded in turning me on again and not a little bit._

She felt her cheeks.

_I'm still sweating. I must look like a lobster. _

_Focus Kate! Focus!_

_Focus? On what?_

Kate shifted uneasily at the couch.

_I wish I could go home and change._

She took another gulp.

Dylan entered a quarter of an hour later and the heat wave invaded her body again upon seeing him. He wore a dark blue suit and a bright blue shirt with an open collar.

Kate swallowed.

"Here I am. We can go when you have finished your drink", he said.

"Uh, yeah, yeah, of course", hurried to say Kate.

She inhaled the scent of his aftershave.

_Ooh, the one I like so much. Jeez, it's going to be hard. What are you doing to yourself Kate?_

They left his house and got into her car. Kate was happy to drive in order to focus on the road.

They reached the restaurant and entered.

He looked around, "You have good taste, but I expected no less from you", he said.

"Madam, sir?", greeted the waiter.

"I booked a table in the name of McGregor" said Kate.

"Oh yes madam, please follow me", said the waiter.

They sat down and he smiled at Kate because he noticed that she couldn't take her eyes off of him.

"And? Did I pass the test?", he asked with a grin.

Kate smiled broadly at him, "Of course, you're very handsome in a suit, you know".

"Thank you. I didn't have to buy it. It surprises you, isn't it?", he replied.

She nodded, "Yeah, indeed. I didn't expect it".

He took her hand, "Kate, are you okay? You are blushing. I guess you're warm", he said.

"Seriously?", she replied trying to hide the blush away.

"What?", he answered innocently raising both hands.

Kate rolled her eyes, "Dylan, you're devilish!. You know damn well why!"

He grinned at her, "A challenge must be recursive, no? Seeing you, I conclude that you didn't pass the test, did you?"

Kate leaned back in her chair, drumming on the table with her fingers giving him a quizzically look. "And how should that happen?"

"I really don't know", he replied with a puppy face.

Kate rolled her eyes.

"Let's choose something before the waiter returns", he suggested tapping the menus in front of them.

"What do you think of the Cold Sea Food Taster as a starter?", she asked him after looking at the menu.

"It's fine for me".

"I'll take the Atlantic salmon", said Kate.

"Hmm, for me the braised pork cheeks", he said.

"A good Sauvignon blanc?", he asked.

"Perfect. You keep on surprising me, Dylan. I know very little about you, except what's in your file and that you're extremely curious. What can you tell me about yourself?", she asked.

"Well, my parents had a farm, but they had to sell it because of a few financial setbacks. Luckily we knew the people who bought it. They are happy that I go to visit them now and then", he said.

"Oh? A farm? Cattle? Agriculture?", Kate asked.

"Cattle and vineyards. It's in Port Mcquarie. You should come with me one day. I'm sure you'll like it", he said.

"In England, we had a few horses, but I was too young to ride on them alone", whispered Kate with some regret in her voice.

"Nah, they have still horses. You can ride one", he replied.

"But, I never did. I don't know how to do it…"

"No worries, I'll teach you".

Meanwhile the cold seafood dish was served to them.

The chatted further and when the table was cleared after the main course, he took out of his pocket a pad of post-it notes and a ballpoint pen. He put it in the middle of the table and looked at her.

Kate tilted her head slightly to the side, "Really?"

He detached a post-it off, scribbled something on it and stuck it on the table in front of her.

Kate read it and felt a tingling in her body.

'You're hot in this tight dress'.

He put another one that she also read, making her glow again.

'I want to see you more in this'.

She smiled at him also taking a post-it.

She wrote 'You're sexy in a suit' and put it in front of him.

Kate took a second one and wrote, 'With this aftershave, you're irresistible', and stuck it next to the previous one.

He smiled broadly and grabbed another one

'Another challenge?'

Kate looked questioningly at him.

He took the note back and added, 'no tricks this time'.

'Tell me', she wrote back and stuck it on the table.

He gave her a knowing smile and wrote ,

'A life time relationship?'

Kate read the message, looked at him and a beaming smile lit up her face. She grabbed the post-it and scribbled, "Let's go!'.

With a big smile, he wrote another one, 'Let's start with a weekend I Sydney, one room'.

Kate read it and looked at him with twinkling eyes.

She took the post-it and wrote, 'Deal!', and put it in front of him.

The waiter arrived with the ordered coffees and watched amused the scattered post-it notes on the table.

"By lack of e-mail", Dylan said.

Enjoying their coffee, they decided when to go to Sydney. Then they split the bill and came out.

On the beach boulevard, they looked at each other without saying anything.

With his right hand he took her by the neck and caressed her cheek with his thumb.

"You have soft skin", he said somewhat surprised.

"Night and day cream", she answered deadpan.

"Huh", he mumbled.

"Dylan, you should know that. It was among the things you had to collect at my place", she replied with a cheeky smile.

"Aah, uh, yes, of course", he stuttered.

She looked at him eagerly, "Do we have to drive home already?"

He looked at the sky and sniffed, "Hmm, not a bad idea. The rain comes. Can I buy you a glass at my place?"

"It's a good idea. Wouldn't that be a bit of an abrupt way to end the evening without an extension?"

They reached his house and managed to get in before the first drops fell.

Kate put her purse on the table and walked over to him. She wrapped her arms around his neck and looked up at him. "This is something I wanted to do for a long time. I really dreamed of it", she whispered.

He gently put his hands on her hips, "Kate, I would like you to know that I don't consider you as another trophy".

She shook her head, "No darling, I just feel it".

He closed his arms around her and they kissed.

"You were right you know. I do need something bigger than my teddy bear", she said with twinkling eyes.

"And I absolutely want to see the front side of the photo you sent me", he replied.

**THE END**


End file.
